


Duality

by MsSirEy



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Brace yourselves, Cunnilingus, Dark!RedK, F/F, Face-Sitting, First Time, Lena in charge, Office Sex, Shower Sex, Strap-Ons, banter to the highest degree, kara wants her to feel safe, lena does not know Kara is Supergirl, this story became so much more than smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-09-15 00:29:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9211772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsSirEy/pseuds/MsSirEy
Summary: Kara is trying to get close to Lena, while Supergirl is physical with Lena. Life is complicated.This is an examination of trust, with equal parts angst, fluff, and smut.





	1. Day to Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work was written on my phone, because my computer died a month ago. Forgive any errors.
> 
> [edited post-completion]: So, a heads up - this fic started out as smut central and ended up an examination of trust. There will be plot and emotion. Mostly, all the feels, but also fluff to round it all out.

Much like the cheery greeting of Jessica, the elevator ride to the top floor of the LCorp building was becoming familiar. And with it came the increasingly present flutter of Kara’s stomach, as she waited for the elevator to rise. It never seemed to give her enough time to prepare and yet plenty of time to let anxiety set in.

 

The chime sounded as she released the breath she held. Doors opened to reveal Lena seated behind her desk, eyes light and smile artful. “Good day, Kara,” she greeted, charming as ever.

 

“Hello, Ms. Luthor,” Kara barely choked out, as she approached the desk.

 

“Kara, what did I tell you?” Lena laughed, the sound of it was so light and captivating that Kara found it a struggle to think. When she did not respond immediately, Lena raised a brow and seemed to will the memories into existence.

 

“Right, Lena!” Kara smiled shyly and looked behind herself to be sure she had managed to position herself in front of the couch before sitting down and letting her eyes return to Lena. “I had a long night,” she provided explanation.

 

Lena waved off her worry with a chuckle. “You too?”

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

Kara touched down with ease on the balcony outside Lena’s office, her cap tugging forward with continued momentum before finally falling back into place. She marched in through the ready open door to be greeted by the sight of Lena seated on her couch, nearly empty glass of wine in hand.

 

She had been flying around on a fruitless patrol for nearly an hour when she had gotten the call from Lena.

 

“You are here late,” she commented as Lena rose, putting her drink aside. “If you are looking for a lift home-”

 

“Stow the snark,” Lena sniped, closing the distance between them faster than Kara anticipated. Their lips met with such force that Kara wondered if Lena’s would bruise.

 

Kara could not tell if it was Lena’s demand or the way Kara’s breath left her lungs in the kiss that was the true culprit behind the death of her words. She found she did not care as her lips parted and Lena’s tongue pushed forward, bringing with it heat and the taste of wine. With the loss of her breath, she lost touch of the situation; she forgot who her hands snaked forward to grip by the waist.

 

And then she was brought shocking clarity as Lena took a step back, breaking contact, drawing a soft whimper of want from Kara’s lungs. “Hands,” Lena indicated Kara’s error, prompting her to raise them in a display of acknowledgement. “Behind your back,” Lena further commanded.

 

Kara did as told, without hesitation, one hand gripped tightly around the wrist of the other. She was accustomed to needing to restrain herself and with Lena it needed to be explicit. She knew of Lena’s fear of aliens and the extreme power she held as a Kryptonian.

 

As she watched Lena’s eyes darken at her display, she was reminded that Lena was also drawn to her strength by carnal attraction. The fire inside Kara was always stoked by the wash of hunger over Lena visage, and so Kara played towards Lena’s weakness. She dropped to her knees, her eyes never leaving Lena’s. Her super hearing caught the hitch in Lena’s steady breathing and her own guts fluttered excitedly as Lena bit her lip.

 

And then Kara was made to wait - not that she minded. She watched as Lena adeptly reached behind herself and undid the zipper of her dress. And then in one fluid motion, the garment fell away, to the floor along with Kara’s jaw. It was as much a sight to behold as the first time Lena had bared herself. The commanding stance and unabashed confidence.

 

The bra went next, exposing hardened nipples to Kara’s aching stare. The removal of the last remaining cover had Kara wishing to drink in the image of Lena forever.

 

There was no need for words as they simultaneously kicked into motion, Lena slowly backwards and Kara in pursuit on her knees. On her way, Lena kicked off her heels and then got comfortable on the couch. When Kara was in place, Lena hooked a leg over her shoulder.

 

Arms still firmly grasped behind her back, Kara inched forward, allowing Lena to readjust her positioning until they were comfortably locked together. She kissed her lips lightly to Lena’s core, the first bit of contact earning a sigh from above her. Her tongue pressed forward, spreading Lena, and she hummed contentedly at the taste.

 

She led with broad strokes, with alternating levels of pressure, her focus being around Lena’s entrance. She sought to build the woman up, but to also savor what Lena gave her in return.

 

When hips began to lift off the couch, searching for more impactful contact, she switched gears, sucking hard on the swollen clit. The gasp from above and the tightening of fingers in her hair were more than enough encouragement. She had her tongue make rapid circles around the bud, eliciting a continuous stream of moans as Lena rose fast towards her cusp.

 

As the wave began to crest, she slowed to nearly a stop and just pressed her tongue flat against the bundle of nerves, holding her at that peak. There was a groan of displeasure and Lena began to unconsciously buck her hips. Kara had no way to stop the movement and nipped lightly at the inner thighs. When the panting became desperate, she resumed the movement of her tongue on clit. A few short, quick strokes had Lena arching off the couch, her body tense and twitching, thighs clamped hard against Kara’s ears, until her breath left her and she collapsed.

 

Kara lazily lapped up her release, smiling all the while. She remained until the hand left her head and the leg fell away from her back. She gazed intently at Lena, waiting for what else was in store.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

Kara shifted awkwardly, trying to remember which side of the couch Lena had been sitting on the night before when Kara ate her out. Her cheeks were suffused with color as she struggled to keep eye contact with Lena, before they finally dropped to her lap.

 

It had not been the first time they had been physical, nor even the first time in Lena’s office, but the CEO looked at her so much more affectionately when she was Kara Danvers. They were friends and Lena often reminded Kara that the Kryptonian was her only friend. There was only lust when Kara visited as Supergirl. And Lena did not know they were the same person.

 

The truth was Kara loved Lena’s hunger, but she also loved the soft charm shown to Kara Danvers. And she feared losing either. She wished desperately for the chance to lovingly embrace Lena, but she could not breach the boundaries of their relationship when she was Supergirl, and she could not get up the courage to ask her out as Kara.

 

“So, the office has you working long hours?”

 

Kara jerked her head up to once more look at Lena. “Oh, uh, yeah. Snapper does not seem to agree with Cat that I am meant to be a reporter,” she announced, “although, he cannot deny that I am the only reporter you are willing to talk to, and you are hot.” Lena was already grinning before Kara amended by saying, “you are a hot topic!”

 

“At least you get to talk to someone hot for a living,” Lena chuckled.

 

“I just wish that I was seen for something other than my connection to you,” she admitted. “Not that I do not like that! I love it!”

 

Lena raised a hand to stop her. “I get it; you want to be seen for what you bring to the table.” Lena tapped a finger, pointedly, on her desk.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

Kara’s face was pressed against the desk, while Lena’s hands coaxed her legs apart. She had stripped and her bared chest formed to the glass. She could tell how her thighs glistened with her own wetness and she hoped Lena did not connect it to how much she wanted the CEO.

 

Two fingers played through her folds and she bit back a moan. Lena purred as she brought herself into position behind Kara and centered the head to the strap-on dildo with her entrance. Kara made sure her legs were well positioned to support her and then said, “ready.” Lena would not ask, but also would not start without confirmation.

 

The start was always slow and almost painful with regards to Kara’s impatience. And then it was not. It was Lena thrusting as hard and as deep as she could, all the while having Kara urging her to go faster.

 

Lena sank her teeth into Kara’s shoulder, never able to leave a mark, but able to spur reactions regardless. Lena drove forward with abandon, with no need to worry about hurting Kara.

 

And as she was wildly fucked, Kara slowly built tension in her body and her breathing became erratic. She focused on the hands on her hips and the breath that tickled her shoulder. She loved the way Lena was pressed against her back, the feel of their skin together.

 

Then Lena roughly fingered her clit and Kara screamed her release, digging her nails into her palms to avoid gripping the desk. After a bit, Lena pulled out, panting.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

“Yes, that is exactly right,” Kara confirmed.

 

“Well, so, putting me aside, don't you have another high profile friend?”

 

Kara took a moment to put together who Lena was referring to. “Supergirl?” A nod confirmed her guess. “We know each other, yes.”

 

Lena continued to smile warmly, but Kara heard the way her heart rate picked up slightly. “And what are your thoughts on the hero?”

 

“I think she is a force for good,” Kara declared.

 

“And you don't think that if she felt like it, she wouldn't run humanity from a throne?”

 

Kara snorted, shaking her head. “Pfft, no, I think the closest she gets to a throne is-”

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

Feeling emboldened after her orgasm, Kara rounded the desk and plopped herself into Lena’s desk chair. She clapped her hand down onto her thigh, inviting Lena to join her. The CEO’s breath was still labored, but she sighed and moved to straddle one of Kara’s legs.

 

Kara made a show of tucking her arms behind her back and then initiated a heated kiss. When air became short, she broke to the side, kissing along Lena's jaw and then down to her throat. Lena's head fell back, letting Kara suck at her pulse point.

 

“Go ahead and grind,” Kara instructed into her neck.

 

“Aren't you cheeky,” Lena breathed.

 

Kara bit down, carefully, rewarded with a hiss. “Only with you,” she retorted.

 

“Bullshit,” Lena said and then ground herself hard down on Kara’s leg. Kara was intensely aware of the slickness spread over her thigh. That and the heat.

 

“Rao,” she bit out, letting her eyes close. She was surprised when Lena's hands found their way to her breasts, palming their weight before pinching and teasing her nipples. Her sensitivity after her last organ mixed with the occasional brush of Lena's leg against her own clit, Kara was steadily moving toward her next.

 

Even as Lena moved her hands to the back of the chair to focus on her grinding, Kara found just enough contact, just the right friction. Wordlessly, but far from silently, they came together. And came apart. Lena collapsed forward, bringing their bodies flush.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

Kara tried to shake the thoughts of Lena sweaty and pressed against her. “-a couch. If she had a throne, it is probably a couch. Or something.”

 

Lena chuckled, her brows raising. “You think so?” Kara nodded fervently. “Well, then she can't be that bad.”

 

“Well, what are your thoughts on Supergirl? As a person, I mean. You have met her, right?”

 

Lena smiled. “A few times. She is,” Lena took pause, seeming to search for the right words, “surprising. She is growing on me.”

 

“Really?”

 

“I still do not trust her, fully, but she is kind of sweet. A bit like you, if we are being honest. Maybe that is why.”

 

“What makes you think she is sweet?”

 

Lena looked a bit distant. “She has taken care of me on a few occasions,” she responded.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

It did not take long for Kara to realize that Lena’s breathing pattern had become that of sleep. She sighed, lifting the other woman into her arms and carried her to the couch, where she propped her before awkwardly shimmying Lena back into her dress. She redressed herself and then flew them to Lena’s penthouse. When she landed on the balcony, she breathed her thanks to Rao that the door was unlocked.

 

She got Lena onto her bed and was in the process of undressing her when The other woman stirred. “What are you doing?”

 

Words did not come easily. “Uh, I was putting you to bed.”

 

“You broke into my home?”

 

Kara smiled awkwardly. “With you.”

 

Lena waved her away. “Stop, before you rip my dress,” she shooed.

 

Kara frowned. “I will have you know, I am great with my hands,” she scoffed. When Lena quirked a brow, she realized what she could have implied and decided to roll with it. “If you let me, I could show you.”

 

Kara was caught by Lena’s expression - a mix of worry and want. “If I tell you to stop, you will?”

 

Without hesitation, “of course.” Lena nodded slowly.

 

Kara stripped quickly, discarding her suit in a pile by the door. Lena also finished disrobing and turned to find Kara nestled among the pillows, holding a hand out to her in invitation.

 

Lena crawled onto the bed and settled into Kara, her back pressed against Kara’s front. The position was meant to allow Lena the option of escape. “You have nothing to fear from me,” Kara assured.

 

Her fingers trailed lightly down Lena's arms, allowing her to adjust to contact. “Are there any areas I should not touch with my hands?”

 

Lena had been holding her breath. “Neck and face.” Kara nodded her understanding.

 

She laid her hands flat on Lena's stomach and felt the other woman shiver. She pressed her lips softly to her shoulder as her hands began a slow ascent. As her fingers met resistance at the underside of Lena's breasts, she felt the minute hitch in the woman's chest. “Relax,” she murmured into the flesh of Lena’s shoulder. “This is all about making you feel good.”

 

Her fingers crested over the swell of Lena's breasts, parting around the hardened nipples. Lena hissed at the near contact. “Then make me feel good,” Lena urged with an impatient gasp.

 

Kara grinned, biting her lip. Her fingers clamped together, pinching the buds, and she pulled up, revelling in the sharp intake of breath that directly followed. She released, and began a rhythmic kneading of the breasts and rolling of the nipples, with the occasional unexpected pinch, until Lena's breath came in short, shuddering gasps.

 

And then she moved on, hands trailing back the way they came, and beyond. She found damp thighs, eagerly parted. Her right hand massaged the thigh, helping the muscles to loosen, while the left snaked to the desired mark. Fingers trailed through hot, slick folds and Kara thought of just how long she had waited for that feeling.

 

She paused with two fingers ready outside Lena’s entrance. “Would you like me inside of you?”

 

“Yes,” Lena affirmed with a sigh.

 

The initial push was slow, mimicking the care and pacing Lena used when entering Kara. Lena's back pressed hard into Kara as she accepted the fingers deep within herself. When Kara was as deep as her knuckles allowed, she wiggled her buried fingers, helping Lena to adjust to her presence.

 

“Ready?” Lena only nodded in response.

 

Kara slid out until only one knuckle on each finger remained encased in molten flesh. As she slowly returned, she was met by the buck of Lena's hips, sheathing her fully and rapidly.

 

She could take a hint and began a steady pump of her fingers, in and out. And then she kicked it into an inhuman gear, vibrating her fingers within Lena, causing the other woman to drop her head back onto Kara's shoulder and moan into her ear. The sound was so alluring and Kara got a rush just hearing it.

 

Kara could feel Lena tighten and flutter around her. She slid her free hand into the space left by her busy hand and as soon as she made contact with Lena's clit, the woman was screaming out her ecstasy. She bottomed out and then purposefully tapped her fingers upward against the inner wall, while rubbing circles around Lena's swollen bundle of nerves.

 

As Lena came into her hand, body spasming, Kara closed her eyes and smiled contentedly. In her mind, it was the perfect moment.

 

Finally Lena's body sagged against her and Kara chuckled softly as she removed herself. “How you doing?”

 

“I think you have ruined me - I shall never be able to match that kind of stimulation without you.”

 

Kara exhaled a laugh. “Good thing you can always ask for my assistance.” She kissed Lena's shoulder, but then caught herself. “Would you like me to leave now?”

 

Lena sighed. “You can stay,” she allowed and Kara grinned giddily, trying to contain the rising fit of giggles. They shifted to center themselves on the bed, Kara spooning Lena.

 

“Goodnight, Ms. Luthor,” Kara mumbled.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

“I could see you guys making great friends,” Kara indicated.

 

Lena chuckled. “Perhaps.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love to get feedback!
> 
> Also, I do have a Tumblr (newly obtained) with my name being the same as on here. I do not post much, but you all are free to follow me and/or put things in my ask box XD


	2. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these two so much that I managed to crank out a new chapter! (the overwhelming positive response and all the encouragement certainly helped)
> 
> It is a bit more background and plot heavy (not heavy, heavy, but there is more than last chapter). Still defo smut. 
> 
> For anyone seeing the red k tag and getting super excited, I am sorry. The red k is used as a dark plot device and is implied to remove Kara's consideration for consent. Don't worry, nothing happens, but it is not a fun red k story. (Maybe I will play with that in another story)
> 
> Anywho, hope you all enjoy!

Lena woke with a strange feeling of weightlessness. She sighed as she opened her eyes, letting the blur of sleep fade as she stared at the ceiling. She pondered how she had gotten home for a moment before the memories came into the forefront of her mind. She inhaled sharply and her head fell to the side to find a still sleeping Supergirl beside her.

 

They had parted in the night and the alien lay curled in on herself, one arm propping her head from under her pillow while the other arm was clutched tight to her chest. Her mouth was slightly agape and she breathed softly. It struck Lena just how peaceful and serene she looked. How human.

 

And she had felt it the night before. She could tell how meticulous the alien was with every move she made. Her touch was so gentle, so perfectly respectful. Lena frowned as she watched the woman sleep.

 

She wanted so much to hate the touch. It went so against everything she stood for, to allow someone with such overwhelming power to have control. And yet, the memory of Supergirl’s hands on her, fingers in her. Just the memory had her short of breath. And none of it felt invasive.

 

It had her thinking of their first time.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

Lena had told Supergirl off, after being confronted about her mother’s involvement in heading Cadmus. Lena wanted to blame Supergirl somehow, to make her the villain for infecting the Luthor name with more atrocities. And even after she helped Supergirl thwart Lillian, she still wanted to curse the hero.

 

And Lillian had made it a little easier for her. As an extra measure, she had laced the Medusa rain with Red Kryptonite. It had taken hold slowly, but as Lena sat in her office, drinking to help soothe her sorrow at having put her mother away, Supergirl had burst in.

 

“What a lovely sight,” she had cooed, in a mocking tone Lena had never heard from her.

 

Lena put her drink aside. “I would rather like to have a night to myself,” she informed the woman, standing and folding her arms over her chest.

 

Lena was startled by the cold laugh that rang through her office. “I am sure you would,” the hero replied. “But I am here to inform you that you have no say.”

 

Lena noted the dark look in the hero’s eye and her stomach twisted a little in panic. “And let me guess, you came here to boast about how you told me so,” Lena tried to direct things toward learning the alien’s motives.

 

“Oh, no, dear Lena,” the hero chuckled and in the span of time it took Lena to blink, they were face to face, the hero’s expression smug. Lena, despite herself, started and made to step back, but found the couch behind her and promptly fell into a sitting position. “I am here to set the records straight.”

 

Lena, still jarred by the unexpected turn of events, just blinked. “What?”

 

“See, you were, and are, right!” There was an eerie glee to the way Supergirl spoke and it sent a shiver through Lena. “You are right to fear me, the superior being.” Lena’s heart dropped into her stomach. She watched a cruel smile overtake the alien’s visage. “I love the sound of your heart rate jumping and that spike of fear I can smell on you,” she bit her lip at the end, breathing deep.

 

“Fuck you,” Lena spat, retaining enough sense to be offended.

 

“Now there’s a thought!” Lena’s throat seemed to close up. “I bet you taste as good as you smell.” As Lena thought she would be sick, Supergirl’s expression faltered. “Damn, the party poopers are here.”

 

Superman and the Green Martian flew in and a blurred brawl began. It led outside and Lena lost track of events, even as Agent Alex Danvers showed up to be sure she was alright.

 

She was debriefed and informed of Red Kryptonite, as well as its effects on Supergirl. Alex was insistent that whatever had transpired, it was not Supergirl.

 

It was days before Lena saw Supergirl next. It gave her hate time to flame up. To blaze and consume. And as the fire slowly died, it was replaced by the haunting desire to know what it felt like to have Supergirl’s hands on her. Her tongue on her. To be subject to the alien’s raw power. It was in her dreams. It plagued her at work. And it drove her wild.

 

So when the hero graced her with a visit, Lena was caught between whether to thank or curse her stars.

 

The alien knocked on the glass door to her balcony and even as she was let in, would not meet Lena’s eye. “Ms. Luthor,” she meekly began, “I-” she faltered, “I do not know how to begin to apologize,” she rushed out.

 

Lena could not stand the way Supergirl spoke. It made it so hard to hate her, but it also made her yearn for that display of power. She waved off the apology. “I was told you were under the influence of some radiation,” Lena relayed.

 

“Yes, that is exactly right. I did not mean what I said,” the woman insisted hastily.

 

“So, you don't want me?”

 

The blank look the alien worry almost was enough for Lena to grin. “Wait, what?”

 

“You seemed quite ready to ‘taste me’, if I recall,” Lena intoned.

 

“Well, I mean, you are totally my type, but I would never do anything you did not want,” the flustered woman assured.

 

“I don't think you can promise that,” Lena rebutted, venomously.

 

Supergirl looked desperate. “I can prove that I am not that person, the one that you fear.”

 

Lena raised a brow at the perhaps unintentional invitation. “And how do you propose doing that, exactly?” She approached the woman, eying her closely.

 

“I-”

 

Lena cut her off. “Could you keep still if I were to, say,” she reached out, her fingers inching toward the woman's face, “touch you?”

 

Supergirl nodded shakily and Lena’s fingers made light contact, slowly tracing the line of the woman's jaw. She took a step forward, and her heart fluttered at the alien’s sharp intake of breath. Her hand traveled further until fingers hooked around the back of Supergirl’s neck, and she pulled their faces close. “What if I were to kiss you, could you keep your hands from touching me?”

 

“If that is what you would want, of course,” the alien vowed.

 

“Do you want me to kiss you?” As Supergirl nodded, Lena noted the effort made to not seem too eager.

 

Lena took a breath before she let herself press forward, melding their lips together. She could not say what she had been expecting, but the soft give of the lips beneath hers and the warmth of the breath was marvelous. Without directive, those lips parted and Lena’s tongue surged forward into the hot mouth. She suddenly felt ravenous and was kissing with ardor, and the alien kept pace, giving as much as taking. It was not a battle, but she tasted blood. It was a dance, lips and tongues entwining, gliding together, sating each other's hunger.

 

When she finally broke away, her head was light and her chest heaved with a need for air. She noted the way the woman’s fists were tightly bunched and rigidly held at the alien’s sides. Her own hand was still locked in the hair at the base of Supergirl’s scalp and she tugged down. There was a moment of resistance, where nothing happened, before she watched realization play over the blonde’s face and her head fell back to expose the length of her throat.

 

If Lena weren't already short of breath, the action would have robbed her then and there. She kissed the neck and sucked fiercely, earning a needy moan that vibrated through her lips. Teeth met that perfect stretch of skin and she bit down hard, and Lena felt a rush as the woman's chest shook with a catch of breath.

 

She pulled away, noting the skin was pristine, as if untouched, the glisten of saliva being the only indication of what had just transpired. She released the long blonde hair and the head righted itself, blue eyes blown, staring intently down into hers.

 

Lena was forced to wet her lips. “If you want me to continue, I am going to need this suit off.” She took a step back to allow Supergirl room and to grant her the chance to make up her mind.

 

The alien flushed madly. “I have never done this with anyone,” she admitted.

 

Lena was taken aback. “Really?”

 

“Well, my cousin aside, the only Kryptonians on this planet are criminals and the humans who know me either don't know ‘me’,” she pointed to the S on her chest, “or are family.”

 

Lena was surprised by the open response. “And you have never just pursued someone as Supergirl?”

 

The blonde snort-laughed. “No! That would be really complicated.”

 

Lena chuckled wryly. “Well, let me make things simple. I do not care who you are. I do not want to know you. I want to fuck and then have us go our separate ways.”

 

The alien’s eyes darkened. “I think I can manage that,” she replied. Lena watched Supergirl discard each item of clothing and did not care that there was no sense of show about it. There did not need to be. She wanted the hero out of her clothes and that was generous enough.

 

And before long, Supergirl stood bared in her office, in front of her desk. The fully glory of her was astonishing and Lena was not inexperienced. Many had sought a night with her, or her money. She had seen many bodies, of all sorts, and she wished it was not Supergirl that made her wet just from looking. She swallowed and attempted to steel her nerves.

 

Closing the distance between them, her fingers unconsciously found their way to taut skin over well defined abdominals. Her palm lay flat, fingers splaying, as her eyes continued to rove. From collar bone to pert breasts and down passed her hand. “You put some real effort into grooming,” she noted aloud when she saw the woman's bare mound.

 

“Kryptonians don’t have hair anywhere but their heads,” the alien corrected.

 

“Interesting,” Lena acknowledged. She began to circle the woman, her hand shifting to the woman's back. Dragging a fingernail up the woman's spine drew out a shiver and Lena grinned in pleasure. She was surprisingly responsive and the CEO loved that.

 

As she returned to the front, she was greeted by the sight of cheeks suffused with color, eyes squeezed shut, bottom lip between teeth, and fists clenched. “Have you ever had anything inside you?”

 

Those eyes snapped open. “Why do you ask?”

 

“I need to know what you are comfortable with and to what extent. Fingers?”

 

“Fingers are fine,” the blonde whispered.

 

“Good,” Lena husked. She stepped into Supergirl's space, her clothed chest brushing against the alien’s bear chest. Her fingers found the inside of the woman's thigh, marveling at how slick she found it. “Ready?”

 

“Rao, I was ready twenty minutes ago,” the blonde breathed.

 

Lena moved her hand up, cupping the hero firmly. She was pleased to see the blonde’s eyes flutter and the slight quirk of a smile. There was no need for further preparation, the hero’s sex was dripping and Lena needed no further encouragement.

 

She pushed two fingers in slowly, revelling in how Supergirl whimpered. It was so hot within her, so tight. She almost did not want to pull out, but then, “please, fuck me as hard as you can.”

 

She swallowed as she felt herself become wet. She drew her fingers out and then suddenly drove home, startling a moan out of the hero. “Yes! Again!”

 

And she did. Again and again. She did not pause or cease, pistoning with all her might, the butt of her palm striking against the blonde’s clit. She reached around and gripped one of the hero’s ass cheeks with her free hand, pulling them close. The woman's head fell onto her shoulder as she continued to thrust.

 

Her nails dug into pliable flesh and she felt powerful muscles grip her fingers fiercely. It was so tight she realized that if she pulled out, there was no way she could get them back in, so she just tried to wriggle them as best she could while Supergirl's body went rigid, her hips jerking forward to get better contact with Lena’s palm. There was a continuous string of moans, like a song in Lena’s ear.

 

As Supergirl came down from her orgasm, her knees gave out, but she kept her word and instead of reaching out, she sank to her knees, her head lolling back, a tired but blissful look coloring her expression. “Thank you,” she breathed, and Lena felt her stomach twist. She did not want to acknowledge how endearing Supergirl could be.

 

“You think you have the energy for proper thanks?”

 

She had caught Supergirl's attention. “What would you like?”

 

Lena directed her to sit on the ground with her back against the center of the couch. She hiked her skirt and drew her panties down, kicking them off toward her desk. “You had spoke of wanting a taste,” Lena reminded. She had the hero lean back and tilt her head up, and then, with a hand on the back of the couch, Lena put first one knee and then the other on either side of Supergirl's shoulders. She shifted forward until the apex of her legs was over the blonde’s mouth, the soft brush of lips informing her of her success.

 

She looked down to see bright blue eyes glimmering up at her, a twitch of a brow asking if she was set. “Whenever you are ready,” she declared.

 

She remembered the heat of that tongue from when they kissed, but against her center, it was something else. It ignited such an intense flame and she was consumed from within. She had not even realized she was rolling her hips until her clit struck the woman's nose, making her gasp and rock harder. “Fuck!” She lost sense of herself as she screamed her release. All she knew was heat, friction, and pleasure. Pure ecstasy. Mind blank and body alight.

 

Gripping the back of the couch with both hands, she rode Supergirl's face through the first orgasm and straight into the second, its rise coming almost as readily as the last. The hero hummed happily and it vibrated through her core, tipping her over that edge, to fall into the abyss of pleasure.

 

Finally she ceased her movements, the blonde continued to lap and suck, keeping her at a very nice spot. “You were pretty good,” Lena commented.

 

“I was just along for the ride,” the hero returned, snorting at her own joke.

 

Lena rolled her eyes and lifted herself away from the hero. She tugged her skirt back down and smoothed it out as best she could. Supergirl rose and dressed in the blink of an eye.

 

“Now, remember, if we ever do this again,” Lena began, “it is just physical.”

 

Supergirl looked hurt. “Right, can't risk thinking of me as a person,” she spat. Lena felt the sting and saw the regret in the blonde’s eyes, but there was nothing else to be said. Supergirl left.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

So much had changed since their first time. Lena had tried to keep things distant, impersonal. The way Supergirl stubbornly strived to go beyond her expectations. She strove to meet all of Lena's needs and it did not go unnoticed.

 

Supergirl stirred beside her. “Morning sunshine,” Lena greeted and could not help but chuckle.

 

“Lena?” The hero seemed confused, but then she shot up. “Ms. Luthor, hi- er, good morning.” Lena rolled her eyes. “Oh Rao, I am going to be late for work!”

 

“Work?” Lena cocked a brow in question.

 

“Uh, you know, protecting the city, and doing good.” She nodded, as of to agree with herself. “Important stuff.”

 

“Right, well, best not be late for the early morning hero work,” Lena chuckled.

 

The blonde was out of bed and dressed in under a second and Lena could just shake her head. She cleared her throat, getting the hero's attention. She motioned with a finger for the blonde to approach, and continue until she was close enough for Lena to kiss. “To get me through the day,” she explained.

 

The woman looked both delighted and flustered. “Right, see you later!” She was at the door when she turned back. “Whenever you need saving… or help… with whatever.”

 

“I look forward to it.” And then she was gone. What a mess Lena had made for herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I really love feedback. Anything from "yay SuperCorp smut!" to commentary on my characterizations! I love it all!


	3. A Shift in Gears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got another one for you all! The scales tip more towards fluff/setup than smut, but I hope you all enjoy regardless XD
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has commented, kudosed, subbed, bookmarked, and read this work! It really means a lot to me.

Kara had never been through the front door of the building that held Lena’s penthouse. It was the most nerve wracking elevator ride to date, for her, and she had been late to work on more than a few occasions.

 

She had not noticed on her other visits that the elevator led straight into the penthouse and that the entire floor was Lena’s. She let the marvel of it occupy her thoughts as she got up the wits to announce her arrival.

 

“Oh, Kara! I am so glad you made it!” Lena beat her to the punch, not that she minded.

 

“Of course! You did offer food, after all,” she offered, hoping the joke was well received.

 

“If only more people were so easy to sway - I would I have the Luthor name clean in no time!”

 

They laughed together and moved deeper into the penthouse. Lena had an array of take out dishes of varying cuisines. “Wow, whatever you are bribing me for, it must be big,” Kara laughed, ogling the food. “You realize I have no money and, like, three connections, one of which is you,” she joked.

 

“True,” Lena granted, “but your three connections are myself, the CEO of LCorp,” Kara nodded, “Cat Grant, of CatCo-”

 

Kara butt in with, “who has called me Kiera more often than Kara and is, presently, absent.”

 

“And,” Lena continued, pointedly ignoring Kara’s commentary, “Supergirl.” Kara opened her mouth to protest, but Lena raised her brow, halting her words.

 

After sighing, Kara said, “So, I am guess Supergirl is the topic of discussion today.”

 

“Very astute! Top marks!” Lena was grinning.

 

“Well, you are going to need to make a forward payment before we begin, or no deal,” Kara huffed, playfully.

 

“Help yourself!”

 

Kara made a heaping plate of everything there was to offer and then returned, looking a little sheepish. “So, what is this thing with Supergirl?”

 

“So,” Lena took a deep breath, “I have been physical with Supergirl.”

 

Kara nearly choked on her potsticker. “Oh,” she managed. “Wow.”

 

Lena shrugged, nonchalantly. “Yeah, I figured we were to that point in our friendship where we could talk about stuff like this,” Lena explained, “but if you rather not, we can find a movie or something.”

 

“Oh no,” Kara hastily assured, “you just took me by surprise.” She put her food aside, not wanting a repeat of potsticker stuck in her throat. “So, is this a new thing?”

 

Lena exhaled a laugh. “Actually no, we have been doing things for months.”

 

“Wow! With the way you act about her, I never would have guessed,” Kara feigned.

 

“Well, it is just a mutual meeting needs, physical ones,” Lena explained, “but things have shifted recently.”

 

“You are going to have to give me more context,” Kara noted.

 

Lena nodded, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. “Stop me if I get too graphic,” Lena warned.

 

“Oh boy,” Kara shook her head, mostly about the irony.

 

“So, to start, I have this love/hate relationship with my attraction towards her,” Lena began. “I am so scared of her power, of what she could do if she just changed her mind and decided morals were beneath her, but the idea of hands that powerful doing as they pleased is just such a,” she just groaned, a pleased groan that Kara knew well. Kara nodded along, her eyes wide and her heart racing.

 

“Oh wow, I was not expecting that,” Kara breathed.

 

“What?”

 

“I never imagined you wanting to be dominated,” she finished.

 

Lena smirked. “What is it that you imagine me wanting, sweet, innocent Kara?”

 

Kara blushed. “I seem to have talked myself into your trap. Why don't we continue with the Supergirl thing?”

 

Lena had a twinkle in her eye for another moment before continuing. “Anyway, I know that in practice, that kind of power play, with the human to kryptonian dynamic we hold, is a bit of a crap shoot - could be an amazing fuck or I could end up dead.”

 

Kara kicked her brain into gear at the insinuation that she could kill Lena. “I really don't think Supergirl is the type to kill people, especially those she is sleeping with.”

 

“Me neither, to be honest,” Lena agreed, surprising Kara, “but I am betting my life and as they say, power corrupts.”

 

“I suppose I see your dilemma, but I am not sure what I can do for you,” Kara indicated.

 

Lena laughed. “I don't need you to do anything. You are more like a sounding board.”

 

Kara slowly nodded with understanding. “So you said something about a shift?”

 

“Right, yes.” Lena murmured. “Until recently I had a ‘no hands’ rule, we broke the rule and it has been okay. It has not made me want to run, like I thought it might. Quite the opposite, really,” she confessed.

 

“She that good with her hands, ey?” Kara waggled her eyebrows with a goofy grin.

 

“Innocent Kara, my ass,” Lena intoned.

 

Still grinning, Kara said, “well, I think you should go for it!” Lena’s brows rose high. “Have her come here, sometime when I am not here, and just ask her to, like, ‘play up her strength’ or however you would word it.”

 

Lena shook her head. “You make it sound so simple, I just might have to give it a go.”

 

Kara's heart fluttered at the possibility.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

Lena felt a different kind of nervous for the first time - the mix of anxiety about asking for her hidden desire to be met and fear of the consequences of relinquishing control. She told herself that it was silly, that every time she was with Supergirl, she was never truly in control, so why would this be different? And yet, Supergirl made a point of showing her restrain, which made things easier, made it feel like Lena had some semblance of say. To ask Supergirl to remove that falsehood, the farcical equality, would that be fun?

 

She sighed, the answer not seeming to reveal itself as she stared into her wine glass while awaiting the hero's arrival.

 

“You called?” Lena’s head jerked up to find Supergirl hero-posing. She exhaled a laugh and the blonde grinned, as if her intention was to lighten the mood. “You look pensive,” the hero noted, “you doing alright?” Lena drew a breath to assure the hero otherwise, but was cut off. “I can hear your heart, you know. It, as well as a few other things, tell me you are worried about something.”

 

Lena quirked a brow. “You are more perceptive than I have given you credit for,” Lena declared.

 

The bright smirk she was met with seemed to irradiate most of her fears. She had been sleeping with Supergirl months and the person she could see, in those moments when you cannot hide your true nature, was not the kind to harm her or disregard her autonomy. At least not in a way she did not appreciate.

 

“I want to talk about doing things a little bit different than normal,” Lena pitched.

 

Supergirl gave her a knowing smile. “What would you like me to do?” The phrasing was just right - allowing for the proposal and assuring Lena’s control.

 

“I want you to be more…”

 

“In control,” the words were supplied, and for once Lena was grateful she did not have to rely on her own tongue. She nodded.

 

“You understand that you are asking me to play a character and not just ‘be myself’, right?”

 

Again Lena was struck by just how perfectly the words comforted her. “Yes, that is what I want.”

 

“Good,” the hero sighed, coming closer, such that they were standing within arms length. “Now let me think a moment.” Lena could already feel her heart speeding up, threatening to jump out of her chest. “I think we should start simple, while we try this,” the alien began.

 

“I am not going to speak, once we begin,” she continued, “in part because I feel like having the body language shift and the language language,” she paused, as if to consider whether there was a better way to phrase it, “at the same time, it might be too much.”

 

“Agreed,” Lena affirmed.

 

“But also, if I try to say things that are both sexy and domineering, it is going to come out all wrong, until I practice some,” the hero admitted, and Lena wondered how she ever thought the woman in front of her could ever be worth fearing. She was basically Kara, if Kara was a super powered alien. Sweet and innocent, and yet not.

 

“And if I give any indication that I do not like something, you will stop?”

 

“Immediately,” the alien confirmed. “Um, before we start and I, you know, stop talking, I have a question. Well, two, actually.”

 

“Go on,” Lena prompted.

 

“Any boundaries that stick out ahead of time?”

 

Lena nodded her appreciation. “Don't stick anything in my ass. That will be a hard line always.” She considered her own mental readiness. “Let's avoid toys today.” Supergirl had begun striping herself, but nodded with each request, committing it to memory.

 

“What about asphyxiation?” Lena starts, but when Supergirl catches her eye, she can see the levity.

 

“Maybe another time,” Lena offers, with a wink, turning the table on the joke.

 

Supergirl blanches. “I don't know if I could actually do that,” she blurts. Lena felt much calmer. She was loosening up, the more they talked. “Alright,” Supergirl stood before her naked, a bit shorter while Lena was still in heels, “you ready?”

 

“Are you?”

 

A lengthy inhale followed by a quick release and the hero closed her eyes. “Guess we will find out,” she chuckled. She opened her eyes and Lena swallowed at the dark look, the air of confidence. Then it faltered. “Wait, I had another thing to ask!”

 

Lena exhaled a laugh. “What?”

 

“On the scale of ‘that dress is totally rippable: looks better on the floor anyway’ to ‘I am never going to have another chance at life if I harm it’, where do we fall?”

 

Lena felt a warmth in her stomach. “Rip away,” she replied.

 

Supergirl nodded and her eyes closed again. As she fell into character once more, her eyes opened to show her hunger and her tongue skated across her teeth.

 

The blonde stepped forward, instantly within Lena’s space. Lena held her chin high, playing the game, forcing the hero to take control.

 

Supergirl kept their eyes locked as her fingers found their way into the top of Lena's dress. Lena thought for a moment that she would be slow and careful, but the sudden sound of fabric shedding and the cool air meeting bare flesh had her shivering. The dress fell to her feet and Supergirl took a step back, beckoning her forward with the curl of a finger.

 

Lena went willingly, stepping away from the remains of her dress, wanting to know where the game was headed. The blonde their faces together, lips brushing against each other, parting such that they shared air. When Lena tried to push forward, to deepen the kiss, she found an immovable hand against her chest, keeping the contact minimal.

 

She felt, more than saw, the hero smile while that hand that kept her at a distance moved up to her shoulder. And then pressure was applied and Lena found herself being guided to her knees. She felt her flush even in her chest and the hand that had forced her down hooked under her chin, drawing her head back, to look up at the woman who stood above.

 

There did not seem to be enough air in the room. The pad of the hero's thumb slid over her bottom lip. She unconsciously parted her lips, to allow for more air to reach her lungs, and Supergirl took full advantage. The hero's hand shifted, such that her middle and ring fingers snuck into the parting. With brows raised, she silently demanded Lena grant her further access. Lena sucked those fingers into her mouth, tongue running along the underside of them.

 

She was all too aware that there was no point to this position, beyond setting the mood for the night, but the way Supergirl's eyes crinkled as she smirked delightedly, set her heart racing. She was already feeling the need for friction, but got the sense that it would be a night testing her patience.

 

When the fingers left her mouth, they nestled themselves in her hair, and suddenly she felt the sharp tug. Supergirl wanted her on her feet and she had to grab hold of the hero's waist to help her upward momentum match the pull on her hair.

 

She was once again face to face with the blonde and she was pleased when their lips crashed together. It was feverish and she found it a struggle to keep up. The hand in her hair dropped away, meeting its mate such that each one firmly gripped one of her ass cheeks. As they squeezed, she was almost certain she would find bruises at least partially in the shape of Supergirl's hands in the morning. That did not seem to matter as those hands suddenly lifted, their mouths falling apart as she found herself looking down at the hero, her legs wrapped around the firm torso.

 

Supergirl casually walked them into the bedroom. Lena hugged her arms tightly around the blonde's neck, sighing as lips placed heated kisses across her chest. It was not long before she found her back against sheets and the hero looming over her. She bit her lip, despite her efforts to seem unaffected by their positions.

 

The blonde straddled her waist and as strong fingers took hold of her wrists, Lena knew there was no breaking free. In that moment, she was completely at Supergirl's mercy. She pushed upward, but there was not even the slightest give.

 

And she could feel it between her legs - overwhelming, all consuming fire. She warred with herself, undecided about whether she should resist to the very end or beg to be touched. The clash of beliefs and desires.

 

And then Supergirl rocked her hips, dragging her own core along Lena's stomach, leaving behind evidence of the excitement. Her hips kept moving and as her stomach was thoroughly coated, Lena watched the pleasure build, the hero's expression become more loose and blissful, her vocalizations become more loud and less steady.

 

It was a sight unlike any other and it was like she was seeing Supergirl for the first time. The raw energy, the bright, unwavering aura. She was magnificent and unearthly, and yet so real and present. And as she came on Lena’s torso, Lena attempted to arch her body up, in the hopes of sharing in even a fraction of the hero's glory. No matter how she pushed or twisted, she was beneath it all. And that made the desire so much more ruining.

 

And her own pleas escaped her notice. “Fuck me, I need you to fuck me,” she gasped in any manner her mind could supply.

 

Supergirl crawled backwards off of her, off the bed and grabbed her by the backs of the knees, tugging her such that her ass hung slightly over the edge. The alien was on her knees, eying Lena's wetness, humming her approval.

 

There was no ceremony, no lead up. There was just a rough tongue pressed to her, wriggling and writhing. Lena felt no build, just a nose dive into oblivion. She gripped the sheets in an effort to anchor herself, to not lose herself forever. There was no way to know up from down, as her vision faded into white. All she knew was that Supergirl was the source of her undoing.

 

When her eyes fluttered open, she found herself lying against her pillows, tucked into Supergirl's side, the hero's strong arms draped around her. “You alright?” The blonde moved a hand up to brush hair out of her face. “You passed out, so I was a little concerned I did something wrong,” the alien confessed.

 

“As much as I am loathe to admit it, it is more that you did something right,” Lena granted. “So very right.” She practically felt the woman beaming above her. “Do not let it go to your head,” she warned.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

“So, are you into girls or is Supergirl a super exception?”

 

“Well, aren't you bold?” Lena looked thoughtful for a moment. “I would not say I ‘like girls’ or ‘like guys’, more that i ‘like people’,” she shrugged to cap the statement. “What about you?”

 

“I only really like one person,” Kara said, to which Lena raised both brows. “It is a secret who they are, but I think they are very special,” Kara indulged.

 

“Girl or guy? Or non-binary? Or alien?”

 

“That is for me to know and you to find out,” Kara said.

 

“Challenge accepted! I may not be a reporter, but I have a few connections myself, including one that can be bribed with food.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, like I said, lots of setup, which should put us on great track for things to come XD
> 
> Hit me up with those comments! Tell me what your favorite scene/position has been so far or what I have not covered but you are dying to see. Or both! I love feedback and it really helps me keep writing (almost as much as the sheer awesome that is SuperCorp). Catch y'all next time!


	4. Everyone Lies, Mostly to Themselves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! And welcome to another chapter of SuperCorp awesomeness! 
> 
> Thank you, as always, for sticking with me! Enjoy!

Kara spent days exploring what her hands could do for Lena. To Lena. She began to accumulate a list of favorites, as their activities became ever expanding. In that capacity, Kara thrived. It was dreamlike, to touch Lena's perfectly beautiful body. It was more than she ever dared to hope for, ever since first meeting her, that day with Clark.

 

But, as she sucked a nipple into her mouth with the subsequent tug of her hair, she wished she could coo soft endearments. As she bit down into the cushioning surrounding flesh and heard the breathy moan from above, she wished that she could hear her name fall from Lena’s lips, like a mantra that held her together. As she blew chilled breath over the reddening marks and watched the shiver that ran through Lena’s body, she wished she could look up into those eyes and see affection, mirroring what she felt for the woman.

 

She was happy to be what Lena needed. At least, that is what she told herself.

 

“Hey,” fingers snapped in front of her face, “Earth to Supergirl,” she blinked and her eyes met Lena’s. “You seem to be off in your own head and are drooling all over me,” the woman said, shaking her head in comic disappointment, smirking at the end.

 

“Am not,” Kara denied, “and I take offense at the insinuation that I might!”

 

“Well, what are you going to do about it,” Lena enquired, biting her lip, an eyebrow raised in challenge.

 

“Oh ho, you are in for it now,” Kara exhaled and shifted backwards, until she was nestled between Lena's legs. She smirked devilishly at the wetness she found and was sure to catch Lena’s eye before subjecting her to a concentrated stream of chilled air. The reaction was immediate, hips jerking fiercely, before she caught Lena by the thighs and held them in place. There was a sharp cry and then strangled laughter as she continued to bombard Lena’s damp center.

 

When she stopped, Lena sagged as she panted. “Stop playing with your food,” she reprimanded.

 

At that, Kara perked up. “Are we delving into the waters of dirty talk now?” She giggled. “‘Cause I have a few lines I have been dying to try out!”

 

Lena groaned, half-heartedly. “What have I gotten myself into?”

 

“Is that an opening for me to try something?”

 

Lena exhaled a laugh. “If it was, you failed.”

 

“I did not know it was coming,” Kara huffed, “I want a redo.”

 

Lena shook her head. “Perhaps another time. For now, I really should be getting up. Early morning weekend board meeting and all,” she intoned, with a sigh.

 

“Aw, but I hardly had anything to eat,” Kara pouted.

 

Lena sat up and Kara shifted into a sitting position at the end of the bed. Lena leaned in for a chaste kiss. “It will have to just leave us in the mood for next time,” the CEO mused.

 

Kara blinked. They rarely acknowledged the possibility of ‘next times’. “When will that be?” She asked as the other woman left the bed and began to dress.

 

“Surprise me.”

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

Lena was thrilled to get the invitation to dinner at Kara’s, especially after the frustrating events of her board meeting. She instructed her driver to come back when she called and headed into the apartment building.

 

The door opened almost immediately upon her knocking and she smiled as warmth flared in her chest. Kara returned her smile and invited her in.

 

Kara Danvers, the woman she did not deserve. She had told herself that if she made the best name of the Luthor name, if she righted enough wrongs done in the world, that one day, she could look to pursue the shining beacon of light. Kara Danvers, the first person to disregard her name and see her as a person of her own making.

 

So, to hear that Kara had eyes for only one was a devastating discovery. Sure, there was technically a chance that the one person was Lena, but the CEO was a woman of logic, and the odds were stacked against her. It left Lena with the decision of whether to risk her one and only friendship. Every time she reassessed, the conclusion was the same - enjoy what she had and wait for more information.

 

“So, how was your day?” Kara could always seem to tell when something was wrong, even if she could not tell what. Lena saw it in her concerned expression.

 

“The hardest part of taking over Luther Corp and creating LCorp is weeding out the stuff that will kill my cause from the inside.”

 

“Wow,” Kara breathed, “that is really intense.”

 

“And tedious,” Lena sighed. “What about you? How was your day?”

 

Kara shrugged. “I did not really do much today. Bit of this, bit of that.” They moved into the living room, settling on the couch. “Needless to say, my day is a lot better, now that you are here.”

 

“The feeling is mutual,” Lena returned, with a smile. “So, how goes it with your person of interest?”

 

Kara laughed in that awkward self conscious way she did that was oddly adorable. “Well, as it turns out, there is kinda someone else in her life.”

 

Lena noted the specific pronoun and tried not to crack a smile. “That’s rough.”

 

Kara chuckled, but Lena saw the defeat in her eyes. “Yeah, makes things complicated.” The blonde's brows furrowed, for a moment, but then she snapped back. “Well, what about Supergirl? You two still having fun?”

 

Lena felt a pang in her chest. She truly hoped that if she managed to find the courage to ask Kara out, she would also have the strength to end things with Supergirl. “She is quite talented,” Lena managed to divulge. “If you are looking for some fun, while you cannot get the lady, I could always ask if she wants extra company,” she offered, with a prim smile.

 

Kara blushed a deep red. “Oh, no, I couldn't,” she stammered.

 

Lena had known the offer was easily played off as a joke, but there was part of her that hoped that Kara would accept. “All to myself, then,” she said.

 

“Not that I don't find you both attractive, you more than her,” Lena grinned at that, “but I am more of a one on one type.”

 

“Noted,” Lena smirked and watched the other woman internally flounder. “So, what are we watching,” she finally offered as a lifeline.

 

Kara jumped at the change of topic. “That depends. Would you prefer action or romance?”

 

“I am a sucker for romance,” Lena declared.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

As Lena returned to her penthouse, she kicked off her heels and made for the bedroom. While it was not necessary, she flicked on the light.

 

Her heart nearly stopped when she saw a figure on her bed. “Supergirl,” she hissed, gripping her chest, trying to regain her calm. “When I said ‘surprise me’, I did not mean half to death,” she intoned. Her eyes drifted back up to the stark naked body, smiling warmly at her. And then she noticed the strap-on the woman wore.

 

Her heart dropped into her stomach. Panic surged within her. The thought of Supergirl losing control and not being able to discern the line between rough and painful. It was why she had avoided toys while they played their game of shifting power.

 

Supergirl was instantly in motion, up and leaping from the bed to land gracefully before Lena, who instantly tried to scramble back, away. “Woah, hey,” hands hovered by her shoulders, but dared not touch. “Ms. Luther, I just wanted to suggest an activity, but if you do not like the idea, I can ditch the gear.” Her words came so frantically. “I can leave if you want,” she offered.

 

Lena held up a hand. “Just give me a moment,” she grunted. She took deep, grounding breaths. Supergirl just kept nodding, eyes wide with worry. “Next time you want to propose something that goes outside our established boundaries, lead up to it with some warning.”

 

“Right, yes, I am sorry,” came the flood of words.

 

Lena shook out her hands, looking the blonde in the eye. “What did you want to suggest?”

 

“Well, I was thinking we could try something where you… ride me,” she worried her lip. “But, if you are not into that-”

 

“Oh, I am totally behind that idea,” Lena corrected, “but you are going to have to make up some ground beforehand. I am not prepared to have that,” she nodded towards the toy, “inside me, at present.”

 

“Oh, okay, what would you- do you want me to do a sexy dance?”

 

Lena guffawed. “No. Most definitely not.”

 

“What? Why?” The hero propped her hands on her hips.

 

“I would not be able to take it seriously,” she laughed. It was then that she noted the sly smile the blonde was trying to hide. “And you were joking,” Lena vocalized her realization.

 

“Gotcha!”

 

“I just got the perfect idea for how you can turn me on,” Lena declared.

 

“I am all ears.”

 

“Give me your best impression of worship,” Lena suggested.

 

The hero looked thoughtful for a beat, and then asked, “can I lie?”

 

Lena was taken aback. She had been expecting a physical approach. “If you can make it believable,” she allowed, after a moment’s consideration.

 

“You can tell me later what you think is a lie,” the woman returned. The CEO could not read her expression. She detected the challenge at the surface, but she also caught hints of desperation, distaste, and an unnerving sadness. Then it melted into resolve. “Are you prepared for this artful rendition?”

 

Lena nodded. She was not ready, but she was dying to see how it played out. Supergirl had a habit of surprising her.

 

The hero’s expression shifted once more, to something she read as admiration. “Lena Luthor,” she began, “you are my world.” Lena faltered. She was not expecting it to sound so genuine. The blonde’s fingers shook slightly as she began to undo the buttons on Lena’s blazer.

 

“I have never felt more at home than when I am with you,” the alien continued. Her hands began to steady as her words picked up momentum, pushing the blazer from the CEO’s shoulders, to fall to the floor. “You are so captivating, so beautiful,” the blouse went next.

 

“From eyes that look like the moons of Krypton,” the woman took a moment to look Lena in the eye with such an intense longing. Lena could hardly hold that stare.

 

“To lips that are not afraid to speak the truth,” a thumb ran delicately over her bottom lip. Her breath caught in her throat.

 

“To a mind that could conquer worlds,” the various clips were carefully pulled from her hair and tossed aside. Her mind seemed to short circuit.

 

“To the heart that would prefer to fight for the weak,” her bra was unclasped and pulled from her shoulders before a kiss was placed on the inside of her left breast, where her heart would be. She felt her heart falter and squeeze.

 

“You are perfection embodied.” The hero moved behind her. A kiss was placed on her shoulder while the zipper in the side of her skirt was pulled down.

 

“I am yours,” Supergirl returned to her front, dropping to her knees, fingers finding their way into the waist of her skirt and panties, pulling them down with such care. “Forever.”

 

There were a few moments where they remained in those positions, Supergirl on her knees, while Lena looked on from above, her appetite wetted. Finally, the blonde broke the silence, “Golden Globe worthy?”

 

Lena rolled her eyes. “Get on the bed,” she directed.

 

Supergirl rocked into a standing position, smirking as she moved backwards, each step being followed by Lena, until the hero was shifting backward on the bed, with Lena crawling forward to join her. Lena settled in her lap, hands braced on firm abdominals. She reached between her own legs and took hold of the dildo Supergirl wore, centering the head at her entrance, before easing herself down onto it, until bottoming out.

 

She remained there, adjusting to the feeling of being full, with Supergirl's hands gripping her thighs. She circled her hips, letting the phallus stretch her, drinking in the hunger she saw in the hero's eyes.

 

As she lifted her hips, she watched the blonde's lips part and her chest heave. When she dropped them once more, she felt the shiver that quaked through the body below her. As she repeated the motions, she was driven wild by Supergirl watching her. And yet, even as she picked up the pace, stirring herself thoroughly, she wanted more.

 

The hero seemed to sense it and sat up, hands gripping her back while mouth found her collarbone and neck. Lena's fingernails dug into the blonde's shoulders as she tried to find a means of greater stimulation. She panted, groaned, and swore, in a cyclical pattern.

 

As she began to lose steam, unable to keep up the pace, she was struck by the realization that she was not close enough. There had to be something else and she saw the image in her head, of Supergirl thrusting into her, the fear of the idea suddenly so far away. She just needed it.

 

“Call me Lena,” she groaned and Supergirl pulled away enough to catch her eye, a look of confusion and concern coloring her face. It had been established that when Supergirl was in her dominant character, she would call Lena by her first name.

 

“Are you sure?” The words came in a breathy mix of want and hesitation.

 

“Do it.” Supergirl lifted from the bed so fast and Lena barely had time to wrap her legs around her waist before being pressed against a wall. “Careful,” she warned, the touch of fear still lingering.

 

She almost regretted saying it as Supergirl pushed into her so dreadfully slow. The itch burned within her, and she cried out with need. The hero remained stubborn in her pace until finally Lena was begging, hands on the woman's hips, trying to pull them into her faster.

 

As the pace increased, Lena noted how she was not hit as deeply, but she did not care. She was being touched in just the right spot with every pass and her thoughts had abandoned her.

 

Hot lips swallowed her moans as she came. Strong hands gripped her thighs as her body stiffened and shook. Hips pressed her firmly to the wall as she felt the world fall away. And she regretted nothing.

 

She sighed as she came down from her high. “Let me down,” she said.

 

“Of course, Ms. Luthor,” the hero was back to herself. She used one hand to loosen the harness, letting it fall away from them both, discarded by the wall. She walked them back to the bed and deposited Lena in the center before collapsing to her side.

 

Lena’s eye lids felt heavy and she wondered when she had become used to the idea of Supergirl sleeping in her bed. They shifted together, the blonde taking up her role as the big spoon. “So, what was true?”

 

The hero was silent for a beat. “When you decide you want to get to know me, I will let you know,” she replied softly, barely audible. “Until then, I think it is best if we leave it a mystery.”

 

Lena frowned at the sudden wave of guilt that crashed through her. “If you don't want this,” Lena said, her body tense within the hero's arms, “we can stop.”

 

A kiss was pressed to her shoulder. “I am enjoying myself,” was all the woman said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else get chills? Cause I did. It is -1 degrees Fahrenheit where I am. Holy shit! 
> 
> Anywho, hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave a comment. Let me know where you fall on the scale of 'keep the angst as far away from these two as is humanly or kryptonianly possible' to 'give me angst now! I need that stuff to survive!'


	5. Crumbling Foundation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Sorry for the wait with this chapter. Beyond the fact that my vacation finished up and I am back to having to deal with life, this chapter ended up involving a lot more than I anticipated. And, each scene required wildly different mindsets that I could not manage in one sitting, or even one day. But, it is an extra long chapter, with a fair mix of fluff, angst, and smut XD hope you all enjoy!

It took Kara a long while to fall asleep. The night’s events played back in her head on a seemingly endless loop. First the moment where her wits left her and she let her feelings take the reins in an inappropriate display of intimacy. And then, when her rational mind returned in the midst of Lena asking for her to fuck her, she wracked her brain for ways to backpedal. There seemed no easy resolution, so she hoped to be able to ignore it having ever happened, but then Lena asked her what was true. And after all the exhaustive toiling, all she wanted to do was keep Lena from digging. To keep from having to explain herself. To keep her secrets.

 

And so when the words left her mouth and Lena stiffened within her arms, she wanted to scream. She wanted so desperately to take it all back. To keep things as they were. While complicated, things were also straightforward and she feared losing it - their relationship.

 

She nuzzled into Lena's hair and listened as her breathing calmed. She contemplated her dual lives and tried to remind herself that keeping her secrets was the right thing to do. Wasn't it?

 

She dreamt of a life where she did not have to hide herself, where she could openly be with Lena, and not fear for their safety. In her dream, Lena embraced her strength and her heart, and was also free from the shackles of her history. And as she awoke, she wondered if dreams could ever be.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

Little in the way of words were exchanged the next morning and Kara found no excuse to attempt to see Lena until a few days later.

 

_Text from Jess: Hey, Kara, just wanted to let you know that it is Ms. Luthor’s birthday today and she has no scheduled plans. She has not said anything, but she might like some company._

_Kara to Jess: thanks Jess!_

 

Kara watched the clock intently from her desk, waiting for the day to end. While she was supposed to be writing a piece on the impact of aliens on National City’s school system, she could hardly focus. So, when she got the call about an emergency, she did not even hesitate to run out.

 

She arrived on the scene - an apartment building. There were fire trucks and police cars around and a large crowd of people. The call went up at her arrival, the wash of relief that she so loved seeing.

 

“What is going on,” she asked an officer she recognized.

 

“The foundation is unstable. Interior support is falling,” came the rapid response.

 

“How can I help?”

 

“Can you support the entire building while we get the rest of the people out?”

 

“I probably cannot lift it back into place, but I should be able to keep it from coming down,” she declared.

 

The call went out that while Supergirl held the building up, everyone needed to be evacuated. Supergirl flew into the building, instantly spotting the failing foundation. Taking a deep breath, got a grip on the beam, and lifted with all her might. She felt it budge, minutely, in the right direction, but then the ground at her feet began to crack with the weight.

 

She strained, getting enough lift to hover, and that took the stress off the ground, but left her shouldering more weight. She used her X-ray vision and super hearing to check on the progress of evacuation.

 

There seemed to be a cat that refused to be rescued, until the officers let the cat’s human reenter the building and coax it out from hiding. Kara was so relieved when finally everyone was clear and she was able to release the beam, which began to sink more rapidly.

 

From outside the building, she watched on with the residents, dispatched officers, and firemen as the building agonizingly slowly crumpled in on itself. It was horrifying to watch the people who were losing their homes, reminiscent of her own past. And to know that if she had help, from Kal or perhaps J’onn, she might have been able to save their homes. It left a sour taste in her mouth, but then the woman with her cat approached.

 

“Thank you so much for allowing me to get Mittens out of there,” she gushed.

 

“Of course,” Kara replied, forcing a smile. “I am sorry I could not do more.”

 

The woman shook her head. “Without you, I would be without Mittens and Frank from the fourth floor would have never made it out,” she nodded toward a man on crutches who seemed to be desperate for a place to sit down. Kara was glad to see someone step in to help him.

 

“Thank you,” Kara said, as her focus returned to the woman. “I must be going.”

 

People stood back as she took to the air. It was later than she had been hoping for and she flew back to CatCo to grab her things and head out for the weekend.

 

_Text to Lena: hey, you doing anything tonight?_

 

She was in flight again when Lena texted back.

 

_Lena to Kara: not a thing. What's up?_

_Kara to Lena: mind if I stop by?_

_Lena to Kara: I would love that_

 

Kara grinned as she approached Lena’s neighborhood.

 

_Kara to Lena: good, I am almost there :}_

 

She was let up in the elevator and as the doors opened, she found Lena with hands on her hips, looking incredulous. “So, what if I said I was busy or not up for company?”

 

“I would have told the Uber you were paying,” Kara joked.

 

“Oh, I see. Well, good thing I couldn't resist seeing you,” Lena returned, and Kara could not help the giddy giggle that escaped her. “What’s the occasion?”

 

It was Kara’s turn to have hands on hips. “You really think you can get away with not celebrating your birthday?”

 

Lena raised a brow. “I keep that under wraps. How did you know?” Her eyes narrowed and it was almost like she was attempting to read Kara's mind.

 

“Instinct of a journalist,” Kara deadpanned, but then broke into a coy smile.

 

“I am not buying,” Lena declared, arms crossed over her chest, but Kara could see the humorous twinkle in her eye. She wondered which of them would break the charade first.

 

“Woman’s intuition?” Kara offered a second attempt.

 

Lena shook her head with a chuckle. “Jess?”

 

“She texted me,” Kara admitted, abashedly.

 

“You two text?” That seemed to give Lena pause.

 

Kara waved off the question. “Every time I visit you at LCorp, I text her to see if you are too busy. Would not want to be a bother,” she explained.

 

“You could never be,” Lena pronounced and Kara felt her heart flutter. “Anyway, I suppose you should come on in. Let me take your bag,” she offered.

 

“I did not get you anything for your birthday. I hope that is alright,” Kara indicated as she slipped her bag from her shoulder.

 

“That is quite alright,” Lena assured. Kara winced as she extended it out to Lena and was met with concern.

 

With the bag in Lena's hands, Kara dropped her arm. “I did a bit of heavy lifting today and I am really starting to feel it.”

 

Lena put her bag aside and led her toward the living room. “What do they have you lifting at CatCo?”

 

“Well, the printer needed restocking and I could not very well ask James to do it, since he's my boss now,” she began, “and the stock room is on the first floor and I swear it would have taken me less time to take the stairs back up.”

 

Lena chuckled and then frowned. “My poor, sweet Kara.” They sat on the couch and Lena made a circular motion with her finger, indicating that Lara should turn about. “Let me see what I can do to relieve some of the tension.”

 

Kara shook her head. “Oh, no no, you don't need to do that,” she assured. “It should work itself out tonight,” she babbled, “and it is your birthday.”

 

“You can owe me one,” Lena chuckled, still twirling her finger.

 

Kara finally relented, under Lena’s insistent gaze, and let her back face the CEO. The relief of Lena's touch was instantaneous, seeming to wash away both pain and guilt.

 

“Do you work out?” The question brought into sharp focus the fact that Lena's hands had been on her before and there was only so much her clothes could mask. “You are jacked,” Lena breathed, in awe.

 

“I used to have to carry Cat’s purse sometimes and after being winded the first day, I started training with my sister. You should see her body,” Kara chuckled. Kara's face fell as she realized what she said. “She’s in a relationship, though. I just meant she is impressively fit.”

 

Kara felt Lena shake her head. “I knew what you meant,” she said. Her hands shifted from Kara's shoulders to her back, thumbs working into the sore muscle. “It is no wonder you eat so much, to support this kind of musculature.”

 

“Or I just really love food,” Kara returned. Lena touched a particularly sensitive part of her lower back and Kara's entire body locked up, hands grasping at the couch, strangled whimper catching in her throat.

 

“I think I found a knot,” Lena informed her, her thumb coming off the spot. “Would you like me to try to get it out?”

 

Kara groaned, apprehensively. “If you want,” she allowed. She steeled herself, but as Lena reapplied pressure, Kara began to laugh hysterically at the strange discomfort. “Wait, stop,” she cried, through breathes of laughter. Lena relented. “If we continue, I am going to flail and accidentally kick your table, or something,” Kara stated, short of breath.

 

“Are you sure,” Lena enquired as Kara turned to face her.

 

“Quite,” Kara nodded. “I think I liked that other idea you brought up,” Kara smiled shyly.

 

“Food?” Lena smiled warmly as Kara nodded. “I did not order anything, but I am sure I can whip something up,” she offered.

 

“You can cook?”

 

“Of course, Kara,” Lena stood, with Kara following suit. “The culinary arts are one of the few I chose to learn,” she explained as she led the way to the kitchen.

 

“When you say ‘chose to learn’,” Kara pressed, open-endedly.

 

“While my curriculum was mostly STEM based, there were a number of arts my parents wished for me to know,” Lena confirmed Kara's suspicion, “I learned to cook from the kitchen staff, in the afternoons when Lex was busy chasing Dad’s approval, and Mom was doing whatever Mom did that took her out of the house.”

 

Kara decided to direct things toward the lighter side. “You got along with the staff, then?”

 

Lena nodded. “I had decent relations with most of the household,” she searched her refrigerator and cupboards for ingredients, pulling a few out, “but Mom was distrusting and constantly rotated people out of service, so it never lasted.” She fetched some pans and utensils, laying them out on the island counter. “It helped me learn to meet new people,” she commented, apparently also trying to keep things light.

 

“No wonder you are so charming,” Kara joked.

 

“Look who is trying to win brownie points,” Lena teased.

 

Kara grinned. “Only if they result in brownies,” she corrected. Her eyes lit up, “do you bake?”

 

Lena laughed at the way Kara practically lifted herself onto the counter in excitement. “I have not in a long while, but I could be convinced to,” she said. Kara drummed her fingers gleefully and giggled. “What is your favorite dessert?”

 

Kara was thoughtful for a moment and Lena took the opportunity to chop some vegetables and start the ground beef cooking. “I like chocolate and I like cake,” the blonde pronounced.

 

She shivered at the expression that overcame Lena - the delightful smugness, sultry and hot. “Have you ever tried flourless chocolate cake?” Kara shook her head. “It is to die for,” Lena divulged.

 

“What is so special about it?”

 

“It is a dense cake, very rich,” Lena explained, “I shall have to make it for you. Perhaps for your birthday,” she offered.

 

“I would love that!”

 

Lena looked relieved. She tossed the veggies - peppers and onions - and some seasoning in with the meat, and turned the heat down. “I need to stir that occasionally, but from here we are pretty much just waiting,” she announced. Kara licked her lips in anticipation.

 

“So,” Lena transitioned, “if you plan to come by more often, you should let me know, so I can stock up,” she chuckled. “You got lucky this time that I went out yesterday.”

 

“I will eat you out of house and home,” Kara warned, giggling.

 

“You can try,” Lena said in challenge. “I would really love it if we hung out more often. I know we are both busy, but I think I would enjoy getting close to you.”

 

“I would love that, too,” Kara insisted.

 

They smiled together and Kara felt her heart squeeze with pleasure. “Oh, the food is probably done,” Lena realized. She gave a last stir and took the pan off the heat. “There are bowls in that cabinet, she pointed to one closer to Kara, setting her in motion. Lena pulled some shredded cheese and sour cream out of the fridge. “You can put however much of anything you want on your dish. And there are a few hot sauces in the fridge, if you like kick,” she indicated.

 

Kara took a heaping bowl, with a full spoon of sour cream and a handful of cheese. “Do you stir it in?”

 

“If you like,” Lena replied. “I don't,” she enlightened. “I like the contrast.” Kara followed her lead and spooned a bite into her mouth. “Careful! It might be hot,” Lena warned.

 

Kara could tell it would be too hot for a human and feigned trying to blow the heat out of her mouth, fanning her hand in front of her face. “Oo ot mihlk,” she said through the mouthful.

 

Lena laughed through her concern, her face pained. “Give me a second,” she grabbed a glass and poured Kara cup.

 

After taking a large gulp and swallowing her food, she exhaled. “Careful, it is hot,” she announced.

 

Lena shook her head, chuckling. “I could have told you that, if you weren't so determined to dig in,” she quipped.

 

“It tastes amazing, though,” Kara added.

 

“I am surprised you can tell after seering your tastebuds,” Lena jibed.

 

“I am basically a professional eater - I can power through the pain,” Kara declared.

 

“Oh, well, I would still prefer if you slow down and just enjoy it,” Lena recommended.

 

Kara conceded and they moved back to the living room to eat. They talked until Kara realized it was well after dark. “This was fantastic, Lena,” she sighed.

 

Lena eyed her curiously. “Are you headed out? You could stay over, if you like,” she offered and Kara felt the wash of sadness at being afraid to accept. What if Lena saw her while she was without her glasses or with her hair down?

 

“I should be getting home,” she indicated, frowning. “I am sorry.”

 

Lena waved off her apology. “It was really nice having you over,” she reiterated.

 

“Happy birthday,” Kara chirped, opening her arms in the offer of a hug. Lena accepted, melting into her embrace. She noted the way Lena gripped the back of her cardigan, as if afraid to let go. Kara rubbed her back until they pulled apart, and the awkward goodbyes began.

 

“See you later,” Lena said.

 

“Remember you owe me brownies!” Kara pressed the button for the elevator to go down and waved as the doors closed.

 

As it descended, she heard Lena breathe, “I am so fucked.”

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

Kara mulled over Lena's words as she changed into her suit and let her hair down. She had no idea what it could mean and could not rightly ask.

 

She held off for a while, before she flew back to Lena’s penthouse and knocked on the glass door out to the balcony. She watched Lena come into view, wearing first a look of confusion and then distaste.

 

Lena opened the door, but did not step aside. “What do you want,” was the question spat at her.

 

Kara was taken aback. “Ms. Luther, I heard it was your birthday.”

 

Lena rolled her eyes. “Uh huh,” she intoned, “and you, what, thought you would come bother me?”

 

“I just figured you could use some fun, to, you know, celebrate,” Kara blurted.

 

“With you?” Lena laughed with a cruel edge. “Let’s get a few things straight,” she said, “you do not get to throw my words in my face like I have done something wrong and then come pretend like you give a shit about me,” Lena hissed. “Also, you do not know me. Do not presume to. I have no desire to celebrate my birthday.”

 

Kara swallowed, her throat dry. “But Kara-,”

 

Lena exhaled a cold laugh. “You think you are even remotely on her level? Fuck off.”

 

Kara blanched. “I get that I said something I shouldn't, but I do not understand what else I have done,” she insisted.

 

“You have come here, after I have had the first birthday in years where I felt any sort of human connection and you have ruined it.”

 

Kara’s brow furrowed. “Because I am alien? Because I am different?”

 

“You would skip over the part where I have not been happy in years and latch onto anything that involves you and your kind,” Lena sneered.

 

Kara’s mind was scrambling to keep up. “Wait, no-”

 

“You come here with your hero complex and think you can fix me - cure me of my fears, show me the light,” Lena motioned toward some unseen light from above. “Guess what,” she stepped out onto the balcony, closing the distance between them. Kara noticed the slight stumble that was so irregular for Lena, “you cannot fix me. I bring only ruin.”

 

Kara put her hands out, catching Lena at the ribs, stopping her progress. “Ms. Luther,” she tried to sound soothing.

 

“There you go, put your hands on me. I am your ultimate conquest - if you can break me, you can break anyone.”

 

Kara automatically pulled her hands away and Lena seized the opportunity to push forward. “Are you drunk?” Kara had just noticed the way Lena smelled heavily of alcohol.

 

The glacial look turned upon her sent a shiver through her. “What do you care? You are just here to fuck me,” Lena intoned.

 

The wash of pain was overwhelming. “I am not going to have sex with you while you are this drunk,” Kara declared, trying to keep her voice steady. “We should get you to bed,” she proposed.

 

“That is so hypocritical,” Lena spat. “You can overpower me at whim, but you cannot take advantage of me drunk?”

 

Kara squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remind herself that it would be best to have this conversation when Lena sobered. The brunette tried to shove her and lost balance, with Kara easily catching her shoulders before she fell. “Lena,” she said in concern but then realized her misstep, “Ms. Luthor,” she corrected and released the other woman when she felt confident that she could stand on her own. “You should go inside,” she recommended.

 

“Make me,” Lena dared.

 

Kara shook her head. “I shall not. If you want to stay out here, I will stay out here with you.” She breathed deeply, trying to exude calm. “If you do not want me, I can call Kara-”

 

The flash of panic in Lena's expression surprised her. “No, don't call Kara, please,” Lena whimpered, grabbing Kara's arms and clutching tight. “I don't want her to see this,” Lena pleaded.

 

Kara felt her throat tighten in guilt. “I won't call Kara,” she assured.

 

Lena did not seem to hear her. “I will be good - I will go to bed,” she insisted. Her tone killed Kara. There was so much pain and fear.

 

“Do you want help?” Lena nodded weakly. Kara shifted closer, twisting her arms out of Lena's grip, before directing the woman's arms around her neck. She stooped, hooking her arm behind the woman's knees and lifted her up. “Here we go,” she cooed as she felt Lena's head drop forward onto her shoulder.

 

She maneuvered them into the bedroom and deposited Lena onto the bed. She tugged the covers down and nudged Lena toward the opening. While the woman shifted, she zipped to the kitchen, fetching a glass of water, before returning, finding Lena in a rather uncomfortable looking position.

 

“Ms. Luthor, you’ll sleep a lot better if you don't have your arms beneath you,” she chuckled.

 

“That is so much work,” the woman grumbled.

 

“How about I roll you over and you sit up to have some water,” Kara offered.

 

“Okay,” came the meek response and then the sounds of drunken straining, but no actual movement. Kara put the water aside. She eased the woman around and then helped lift her up. “Kara?”

 

Kara froze. “Ms. Luthor-”

 

“No, just you,” Lena amended, sadly.

 

Kara coaxed the water into her hands and Lena took a long gulp. “Another,” she pressed, lightly. Lena groaned, but complied. “Very good,” Kara soothed and let the woman lay back. “Sleep now.”

 

“You'll stay?”

 

“I'll be on the couch, if you need me,” Kara assured.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

Kara woke to the smell of bacon and coffee. She groaned as she stretched on the couch and then walked bleary-eyed to the kitchen. “You are surprisingly productive for the morning after last night.”

 

Lena raised a brow, the corner of her mouth quirking up, but she did not look away from the bacon on the stove. “Well, it is hardly morning and this is hardly the first time I have drunk myself into a stupor on my birthday.”

 

“You said it was the best birthday you had had in years,” Kara pointed out.

 

“Someone actually sought to spend time with me,” Lena explained. “I guess two someones,” she amended.

 

“You did not want me here,” Kara reminded, rubbing her shoulder. Lena stopped flipping bacon and stood very still. “I should not have come,” Kara admitted.

 

“In a way, I am glad you did. It gave me an excuse to direct my anger at someone other than myself.” Lena looked up and Kara saw immense unadulterated self-loathing. She debated saying something, wondered whether that was an invitation, but then Lena’s expression faltered and her eyes narrowed. “Are you wearing one of my shirts?”

 

Kara looked down at the well worn band tee with the word ‘Evanescence’ written across it. “Oh, uh, yes,” she glanced back up to find Lena looking pale. “I could not sleep on my suit - its got the cape and wrinkles are hard to get out and I cannot just take it to a dry cleaner - and I thought you might not like me sleeping naked on your couch,” she babbled. “The underwear is mine,” she hastily added.

 

“I am just not used to seeing you in anything besides your suit,” Lena clarified, dragging her eyes back to the bacon.

 

“That or nothing,” Kara corrected before she could stop herself.

 

“Yes, or that,” Lena chuckled. Silence fell between them as Lena took the last of the bacon off the stove, putting it on a plate next to a tall stack of pancakes.

 

“I think we need to talk about last night,” Kara murmured and Lena looked like she might ask her to repeat herself, but then nodded.

 

“We will. When I am ready. And when that happens, we can talk about what it means for us,” Lena confirmed. Kara nodded and tried to smile reassuringly. Lena shifted her weight between her feet and bit her lip. “Do you want to have the fun we did not have last night?”

 

Kara did, but she was hesitant. “It would help to build up an appetite before we attempt to eat all the food you made,” she quipped. “But,” she paused, rolling her words around her mouth, trying to find the right ones, “I need you to be honest with me. Do you believe I will take advantage of you?” She swallowed. “If you do, I cannot participate.”

 

Lena was pensive. “I am beginning to believe that you would never intentionally do anything harmful,” she answered. “And that is all I can offer, at present.”

 

“It's more than I could hope for,” Kara admitted and she caught the twinge of hurt in Lena's eyes. “I am going to go put your shirt in your room and you are going to thoroughly wash your hands,” she instructed. “Ignoring the possible innuendo, I do not need any raw meat inside me,” she deadpanned.

 

Lena cracked a smile. “Your dirty talk still needs work,” she jibed.

 

“Hey, that was not me attempting- you know what, I will surprise you one of these days. You are not going to see it coming!”

 

“You’ll see me coming,” Lena returned, sporting the slyest of grins. “See how easy it is?”

 

Kara huffed. “Whatever,” she pouted, dramatically turning and leaving the room. She discarded her underwear along with the shirt, and when she returned, she spotted Lena's clothes tossed towards the bedroom. “So, whose bare ass is going on your very shiny and clean granite countertop?”

 

“I do not care so long as your fingers are inside me,” Lena smirked.

 

Kara eyed her, the afternoon sun playing over her naked form. “You are teasing again,” she noted, as she closed the distance between them, her hands tentatively coming to rest on Lena's hips. “But remember, I can tease you in other ways,” she warned.

 

“Who says I am not hoping for that,” Lena questioned.

 

“Is that what you are hoping for?”

 

Lena exhaled a laugh. “I certainly would not mind,” she indicated.

 

“And what about the fingers bit?”

 

“Yes, Supergirl, I want that,” she pronounced. “Now, let’s put our mouths to better use,” she pulled closer to Kara, looking up into her eyes, before bringing their lips together. Kara felt herself sink into the kiss. It was like the weight on their relationship was a direct result of Lena’s gravitational pull suddenly increasing.

 

She did not want to pull away. Instead, she gave in, her eyes closing as she accepted Lena’s tongue into her mouth, her body pressing against the other woman.

 

She felt Lena’s hands on her back, trailing down toward her ass, and suddenly she remembered the notable knot in her muscles. She hastily lifted Lena and set her on the countertop.

 

The other woman yelped as she pulled their mouths apart. “Holy shit, warn someone before you put their bare ass against the cold stone!”

 

Kara played it off with a smirk. “Well, if you had not already broken the rules of the game, I might have warned you,” she announced.

 

“And what game is that?”

 

“It is pretty simple, really,” Kara explained. “Your hands are not allowed to touch me and are not allowed to touch you,” she stated. “I let you off easy, this time.”

 

“What happens if I break the rules again?”

 

Kara thought about her response for a moment. “There is a preset amount of time before I give you what you want,” she wiggled her fingers in display, “and each time you break the rules, I will add more time,” she stated. “And before you think about having me touch you all day, I have every intention of leaving you for those pancakes if things go on too long.”

 

“How cruel,” Lena commented, biting her lip. She made a show of placing her hands on the granite and gripping tight. “When does the time begin?”

 

“Lean back and we can start,” Kara instructed.

 

Lena cocked a brow, but did as she was told, hissing as her back came in contact with the cool surface of the counter, her head remaining up, trying to maintain visual. Kara placed her hands on warm knees, gently urging Lena to spread her legs. Her fingers drummed on soft thighs, while the CEO’s eyes darted between Kara's gaze and the physical contact that began to influence the beat of her heart.

 

Fingers stopped, resting for a moment against warm skin, feeling the pulse that began to race beneath the surface. Ten fingernails traversed lightly, moving upward, chasing a shiver that rushed through the body. Lena let her head settle back, her eyes closing.

 

Kara watched her, the way her breathing calmed despite her skin being flushed. Kara knew Lena was letting herself feel. Letting herself forget the outside world. Letting herself focus solely on the sensation of another's ministrations.

 

So Kara followed a predictable path, pace and pressure consistent. She did not stop, just created a loop and repeated it for minutes. She let Lena grow used to the pattern.

 

Kara was careful to keep her movements steady as she leaned forward, such that when her tongue met the inside of Lena's thigh, there was a sharp intake of breath. “Took you long enough,” Lena quipped. In response, Kara bit down, not hard enough to break the skin. She grinned at the way Lena's quad stiffened beneath her teeth. “If that is another of your punishments, you are going about this wrong,” she offered, her words coming quicker.

 

Kara released the flesh and planted a soft kiss over the mark, before moving on. Her hands continued along their course. The hero mirrored her last motion, tongue finding the other leg, before teeth and finally lips. She watched Lena's grip tighten on the granite and felt the tension build in Lena's legs.

 

And then back to the even flow of her hands. Lena began to twitch, ever so slightly, with anticipation of Kara’s next deviation. Just as Lena's heart began to slow once more, lips settled below her navel, and her heart rate jumped.

 

“I am beginning to understand how torturous you can be,” Lena stated, wryly.

 

“Perhaps you would like to take matters into your own hands,” Kara quipped back.

 

Lena grinned as she bit her lip. “Tempting, but I have been given strict instruction,” she returned.

 

Kara sank her teeth into the intersection of thigh and pelvis, so close, but not close enough to Lena's center. “I did not know you were the type to follow the rules,” she announced as she pulled away, Lena's hips lifting off the counter to follow her. “What if I told you,” she sucked sharply on one of Lena's hip bones and the woman moaned, having thought she had more time to prepare, “there might be a secret rule, where if you break the rules, you win? How do you weigh risk versus reward?”

 

Lena exhaled a laugh, her breathing accelerated. “That would require further considerat-” her word cut off as Kara engulfed her clit with warm lips, sucking hard, before pulling away with a wet pop. Lena lifted her head up, once more looking at Kara. “That is merciless.”

 

“Perhaps you should consider what I said,” Kara reckoned with a prim smile.

 

Kara watched the wheels turn. As Lena’s hands loosened their grip and began to move, Kara dragged her nails down Lena's sides and stomach, leaving rapidly reddening marks in their wake. Lena's head dropped back and her body surged upward, arching off the counter. “I guess the reward won out,” Kara commented.

 

Her mouth found Lena's core and tongue pressed in between the woman's labia. The taste of Lena flooded her mind and she almost forgot the purpose of the game - what it led up to.

 

When she pulled away, Lena opened her mouth to protest, but then Kara’s fingers were pressing inside her, and all Lena said was, “yes!”

 

Kara's movements were erratic seeming, the contrast from her earlier touch so distinct. There was no plan or pattern, just friction and energy. There was little in the way of build - they both just shot up to full gear. Kara kissed the scratches on Lena's stomach.

 

When Kara's lips latched onto Lena's clit once more, the woman moaned and her muscles tensed around Kara's fingers. She helped the woman ride out her orgasm, her fingers tapping upward. She slowed until her fingers rested unmoving within Lena, letting the small aftershock clenches grip her.

 

When Lena sighed, contentedly, she finally removed herself, and made a show of licking her fingers clean. “Breakfast?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! I love it when you comment - it totally makes my day!


	6. Everything Considered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome, all! Here we have the latest update! I appreciate, more than I can express, the fact that you all have stuck with me until this point! I hope you enjoy XD

Acknowledging the absence of something is often harder than one might think. Like after a week of having a stuffy nose, suddenly realizing you can breath normally and have been doing so for a while.

 

So, it came as a shock to Lena that she absent some of her automatic fear responses to Supergirl. She no longer flinched away from touch. She no longer felt the need to direct all of their encounters. She no longer resisted the hero’s sometimes awkward talkative nature.

 

She realized these things while straddling Supergirl's lap. She realized these things while they floated feet above her bed, facing another of her fears. She realized these things with Supergirl's fingers buried within her, vibrating inhumanly, sending pulses of electricity through her entire body.

 

And with the realizations came a pressing question - did she still fear Supergirl? She did. She was sure of it. But was it just a matter of her stubbornly avoiding knowing Supergirl? Could it be different if she just knew the hero, outside of her role as Supergirl?

 

She let the thoughts and questions rattle around her head as she cried out “Supergirl,” over and over. It felt awkward, to use the moniker, but it was all she had and she could not resist the sudden need to scream the woman's name. Maybe it was the heightened adrenaline of not being on solid ground. Maybe it was the contradictory feeling of being safe with the hero’s other arm wrapped tightly around her.

 

And then the question in most need of consideration - was she more afraid of Supergirl or getting close to Supergirl?

 

She hugged the woman close as she orgasmed powerfully, abandoning all thought, plunging into the depth of pleasure. The tide of pure energy threatened to wash her away and all she was anchored to was Supergirl.

 

As she returned to her body and opened her eyes, she found clear blue eyes watching her. “Enjoy the view?”

 

Supergirl grinned. “Very much,” she responded. The hero moved forward, cautiously, but Lena met her in the middle, their lips crashing together.

 

If sunlight had a flavor, that is what it tasted like, kissing Supergirl. Radiant warmth soaked into her very being. It was otherworldly. She knew Supergirl's mouth well and yet was still excited by the writhing dance of tongues.

 

There was always the primal urge to delve deeper and to seek more. And she fed into it, in that passionate embrace of lips. It stripped the breath from her lungs, but she dared not break away, dared not let go of the actions that made her forget.

 

But then as a name bubbled up from within to roll around her mouth, she realized what she almost said. The name was not that of the woman she was sharing physical connection. She had wanted so badly to call her Kara. She would have been content to pretend it was Kara, but then she caught the open expression of Supergirl.

 

She was so similar to Kara and it made Lena rethink. She slowed and the hero took notice. She knew the consequences of saying the name on her lips, of admitting her feelings for another while being with someone else. Their relationship was a physical one, but that did not mean that Lena was allowed to bring her emotional baggage into it.

 

Supergirl pulled away, concern coloring her expression as her eyes searched Lena's. “You alright?”

 

Lena simply nodded and turned her eyes down, towards where Supergirl still had her fingers buried. She snaked her own hand down between their legs, cupping the hero. “Would you like me return the favor?”

 

Supergirl cocked a brow as Lena’s eyes flicked back up. “I might have a hard time keeping us afloat,” she reasoned.

 

“All the more exciting,” Lena argued.

 

“Then I would be thrilled,” the hero declared. Lena slipped fingers through velvety netherlips before taking the plunge. Lena was glad Supergirl's hand gripped her back, because the hero's lap shifted with a thrust against Lena's hand.

 

As her lap settled once more, Lena started moving, quick strokes with as much force as her angle could provide. She felt the unintentional twitch of Supergirl's fingers, still within her, and it spurred her into erratic motion.

 

The first major sign that she was making progress was when there was a sudden dip in elevation, forcing Lena to lean forward for fear of falling. She kept her fingers moving, as best she could, considering her arm being trapped between them. It did not seem to matter that her ministrations were limited and they dropped again as the hero gasped, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

 

Lena groaned as the fingers were removed from her and hands grasped her waist, holding her still as the hero descended shakily toward the bed. When they settled, Lena laid atop Supergirl, struggling to keep up the proper motions. “Keep going,” the hero breathed, needy.

 

“One second,” Lena grunted, lifting herself up and scooting backward. They repositioned such that Supergirl’s hips were above her own and off center, allowing better access. Lena resumed her efforts, fingers pistoning with as much force as she could manage. She used her shoulder as a fulcrum, putting the entire weight of her arm behind each thrust.

 

She was relieved to see the hero fisting the sheets and then her inner muscles were pulling Lena's fingers into a vice grip. Her free hand thumbed the blonde's clit, helping her to ride the orgasm to its completion.

 

She massaged tense thighs when she reclaimed her fingers. When the blonde opened her eyes, Lena rolled to the side, lying beside Supergirl. “Remind me to work out my other arm, otherwise people are going to notice that one is vastly different from the other,” Lena said through her deep breaths.

 

Supergirl laughed heartily. “Should I be thanking you for all your efforts?”

 

“Wouldn't hurt,” Lena intoned.

 

Strong arms encased her in a loose embrace, as the blonde sidled up next to her. Warm lips kissed her shoulder. She heard the contented sigh that tickled her skin. And everything came rushing back. All the questions. All the feelings.

 

“Supergirl?” The hero hummed, not suspecting what was coming. “Why me?”

 

Lena felt the other woman go rigid. “I don't know what you are asking,” came the hesitant response.

 

“I am just wondering what brought you to me, that day,” Lena recalled the woman who looked down at her with such hunger.

 

“I have lived on this planet long enough to know that you have the concept of attraction - aesthetic preferences based on physical or personality traits,” the alien explained, “as well as an understanding of physical and sexual compatibility.”

 

“That was the least romantic way you could have put it,” Lena jeered.

 

“Was it an invitation to be romantic?” The blonde sat up, allowing their eyes to meet, and Lena was surprised to see a heavy mix of apprehension and confusion, but also a hint of excitement.

 

Lena swallowed, trying to wet her throat. “No, I am sorry for the poor choice of words,” she sighed, watching the tension in the hero's jaw as she tried to keep her expression neutral. The light in those blue eyes seemed so dim and Lena knew it was her doing. “You do not have to stay with me,” she insisted. “If you find someone, I shall be alright if you choose to let me go.”

 

She watched Supergirl's eyes flick back and forth, as if she was trying to get her X-ray vision to see into Lena's mind. “Is this because of what happened during your birthday?”

 

Lena's brow furrowed. “This is not a matter of-”

 

“Of what? You pushing people away?” Lena's jaw tightened and she felt her heart squeeze in her chest. “I would be willing to bet that I am the person closest to you, right now, and that says a lot.”

 

Lena shifted away from her, sitting up in the bed. “And why do you care?” It was a question Lena was not sure she was ready to hear the answer to.

 

“That does not matter,” Supergirl stated and Lena felt her insides twist. “What matters is that our relationship is simple - exclusively sexual. You did not want anything else.”

 

Lena opened her mouth to speak, initially wanting to lash out, but when those words did not come, she found herself with nothing to say.

 

“If,” the alien continued, “you want something different, something more, you have to tell me, or I will continue assuming you want things to remain. I will keep to the status quo.”

 

Lena deliberated silently, watching the hero, long enough to see her expression fall. “Or,” Supergirl offered, “if you want things to end, you need to just tell me.”

 

Lena realized how her words were received. She sighed. “That is not what I meant,” she pressed.

 

“Then what?” The pleading tone threatened to cut down her defenses. She looked into those eyes and saw someone willing to walk into the unknown. And she envied that fearlessness.

 

She was barely able to recognize the truth of her actions, driven by a fear of abandonment. To push someone away put it on her terms.

 

“I just do not see how this,” she motioned between them, “could work, long term?”

 

It was meant to cut deep and she watched the hero falter. “Because you’re a Luthor and I'm a Super,” the blonde asked, “or just because you’re a Luthor?”

 

Something within Lena shattered, as she realized just how well Supergirl could see through her. “What would you know about it?” What hurt more was the knowledge of just how little she knew about the other woman, by her own conscious decision.

 

“I know that you, Ms. Luthor, don't need saving. And I know that you do not need to convince me, or this city, that you are a good person, worthy of human connection.” Those eyes held such passion, such purpose. “You need to convince yourself.”

 

Lena felt time slow. And she was glad of it. She had so many things to consider. It was not just what Supergirl said, but also who Supergirl was or could be, to her. She could see herself opening up and letting the blonde in. She could see learning about the other woman.

 

And Lena could see the absolute disaster she could be for hero. She pictured people spitting Supergirl's name, as they did hers. She imagined Lex redirecting his focus away from Superman. She did not want to watch those bright eyes and cheery smile dull as Supergirl was forced to confront the worst sides of Lena.

 

Through all her fear, she knew she wanted something more. Anything, so long as it was more. “That was the cheesiest fucking thing you could have said,” she chided.

 

The blonde shrugged. “What was I supposed to say?” She worried her lip. “I had thought we were making progress toward a true understanding, but then,” she mimed a plane with her hand, that took a sudden nosedive. As her fingers touched the bed and crumpled into a fist, “BHCHKBOOM!”

 

“You really have a way with words,” Lena chuckled. “We are making progress,” she promised, taking the hero's hand in hers. “I just need time.”

 

“Of course,” Supergirl granted. “However long you need.”

 

Lena had decided that she needed to talk to Kara. She felt she needed be certain of how things stood, so she would not have any regrets or sense of settling with a consolation. If Kara was not interested in anything other than friendship, she would work towards getting to know Supergirl in a different capacity.

 

~ oOoOo ~

 

“Kara, I know I am busy, but I am still capable of getting my own food,” came the CEO’s protest as Kara carried in a very full bag of takeout.

 

“I feel inclined to remind you that I am a reporter of the truth and a source of mine has informed me that you have not even had breakfast,” she dropped the bag on the desk and made a show of looking for the clock on the wall, “and it is nearly three.”

 

She watched Lena inhale deeply and sigh. “Alright, so I got a little distracted.”

 

“I am here to help you focus,” Kara announced, cheerily. Lena raised a brow. “On food,” Kara specified. “Come on, up you get,” she motioned for Lena to rise.

 

“Kara, I have important work to do,” Lena protested, half-heartedly .

 

“Not as important as food,” Kara asserted.

 

“I am preparing for the fundraiser that LCorp is hosting for the people who lost their homes in that building collapse,” the CEO countered.

 

“Which can wait,” Kara insisted.

 

Lena chuckled. “It is tomorrow,” she reminded.

 

Kara waved a hand dismissively. “Don't you have people who can do that for you?” She began unpackaging the food, setting free the aroma to further entice Lena.

 

“Yes, and they have done the bulk of the work, but I still need to approve messages and purchases and guest lists and so many other things,” Lena was showing signs of weariness. “And presently I am writing my speech.”

 

“Which is better done when you have a full stomach,” Kara waggled her eyebrows, noting how Lena’s eyes lingered on the food. “Do not make me drag your rolley chair and you along with it over here.”

 

“Fine! Alright,” she pushed away from her desk, double fisting a carton of General Tsao’s chicken and a carton of Crab Rangoon, and leading the way to the couch. Kara followed with a carton of potstickers and a carton of Chinese chicken fingers.

 

“Supergirl better watch out - I think I have a new hero,” Lena exhaled. It always left Kara flustered when the brunette was complimentary, as it was so infrequent when she was Supergirl.

 

“I am here for you,” she proclaimed, “so long as you share those Crab Rangoon,” she leaned over, plucking one of the aforementioned delights from Lena's carton.

 

“I see how it is,” Lena teased, grabbing for a potsticker even as Kara moved to keep the container just out of her reach, until Lena was reaching right across her. “But seeing as you paid, I will have to let it go.”

 

Kara grinned sheepishly. “What if I told you Jess provided me with an LCorp credit card for food expenses?”

 

“I would fire her on the spot for single-handedly causing this company to inevitably declare bankruptcy,” Lena laughed. “Did she really?”

 

Kara bit her lip, trying, albeit not very hard, to hide her guilty smirk. “This is my first time using it,” she offered. “And it is only for when I am buying you lunch, if that helps.”

 

“If it were not for the fact that you brought the food here, I might be jealous,” Lena joked.

 

“Jess ordered some spring rolls,” Kara corrected, giggling.

 

“Oh, for the love of-,” Lena said in mock-exasperation, “I am going to have to warn my employees away from you, else you might have them all in the palm of your hand and I will lose my company without seeing it coming.”

 

Kara put her hand to her chest in a gesture of faux-offense and then shook her head. “That's not really my thing,” she assured.

 

“Being in control?”

 

Lena smirked as Kara blushed. “I was going to say ‘being that responsible’,” she redirected, “but I have my share of responsibilities. Life or death shit.”

 

“Kara! I don't think I have ever heard you swear,” Lena exclaimed.

 

“I'm sure you have,” Kara insisted.

 

They put their cartons aside, sitting content for a few moments. “Kara, I was wondering if perhaps you would want to grab dinner with me one of these days, after this fundraiser business.”

 

Kara thought her heart was about to jump out of her chest. “Yes! I would love to!”

 

“I know this nice place in town that I can get a reservation for,” Lena announced, “and they have decent proportions, from what I hear.”

 

“Would not want to have to explain ordering five entrees just for me,” Kara acknowledged.

 

“I would make the excuse sound very science-y,” Lena assured and they shared a chuckle. Lena looked at the clock. “I need to be getting back to work,” she informed Kara.

 

“Right,” Kara rose hastily. “Do you want me to leave any of the leftovers?”

 

“You can have them,” Lena granted as she stood. “One last thing before you go,” she indicated as she rounded her desk. “I was wondering what your thoughts would be if I asked Supergirl to be my guest at the fundraiser?”

 

Kara's heart skipped a beat and she was glad Lena did not share her super hearing. “I think that would be amazing,” she breathed.

 

Lena seemed a bit unsettled by her response. “You don't think it will invite any negative attention towards Supergirl?”

 

Kara furrowed her brow. “I know the world sometimes views things through a very dark lense and that, inevitably, gossip always happens,” she acknowledged, “but I cannot see how a Luthor and a Super standing together could take away from your goal.”

 

Lena smiled warmly. “Thank you, Kara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you all! Thanks for reading!


	7. Glass is Bound to Shatter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Em Gee, everyone, this chapter was challenge. I am sorry for the wait, but I hope you all enjoy!

For the first time, Kara found herself awake before Lena. The serene peace of sleep was a welcome look for Lena and Kara cherished the moment. There was the incessantly nagging guilt that plagued her, but she was almost able to ignore it, as she watched the woman slumber.

  
She glanced across at the clock on the nightstand, its illuminated numbers reading 7:38. She dug into her memory, trying to recall exactly when Lena had said she had needed to be up. Lena had called her over to officially ask her to attend the fundraiser as her guest and Kara had accepted, and then spent the rest of the night trying to convince Lena that there was no need to do anything else to prepare. She was convinced that if she had not coaxed Lena away from her paperwork, she might not have slept that night.

  
The fundraiser was at noon, so they had time, but Lena had insisted that there was more that needed doing. Kara shook her head, exhaling sharply. “Ms. Luthor,” she cooed, earning a whining grumble. “It's time to get up,” she tried again. Green eyes fluttered open, unfocused and rolling, and then closed once more. “Hey, no, don't fall back to sleep,” Kara accused, chuckling.

  
“What time is it,” came the short response.

  
“Going on eight,” Kara announced.

  
“Let me sleep until eight,” the half asleep Lena murmured.

  
“You said you wanted to be up at seven thirty,” Kara reminded, lightly. When no response came, she shook the woman's shoulder. “Did you hear me?”

  
Lena shifted such that her head was further nestled into her pillow. “Just five more minutes,” the CEO huffed.

  
Kara sighed and left the bed. “And to think I mistook you for a morning person,” she quipped. She meandered over to the drawn curtain in Lena's bedroom, inching open the divide to peek at the morning sun. The sky was entirely clear of clouds and Kara could not resist ducking out of the bedroom and stepping out onto the balcony that overlooked the water.

  
She basked in the warmth of the sun, delighting in how it made her feel so whole. It was strange to think that the yellow sun of Earth felt more refreshing than the sun of Krypton. It reminded her that Earth was her home, when so much else told her she did not belong.

  
And if she was being honest, she preferred the yellow glow of Earth’s sun. It was brighter and illuminated the world in a way Krypton’s sun couldn't. She did miss cyntra and demmir, colors that did not exist on Earth, but some of the greens and blues of Earth were so vivid and violet was new to her all together when she came to Earth.

  
Kal may have been the reason she came to Earth, but Earth, and its people, was why she stayed.

  
“Ah, shit,” she heard from within the penthouse.

  
“Guess that is my cue,” she noted to herself. Trotting back inside, she poked her head into the bedroom. Lena was sitting up, fingers buried in the hair at the crown of her head, her face illuminated by the screen of her phone. “How goes, Sleeping Beauty?”

  
Tired eyes turned a cold glance up at her. “I am going to be late and you did not wake me,” she huffed.

  
Kara bit her lip sheepishly as she fully entered the room. “You said you needed more sleep and I was inclined to agree,” she argued.

  
Lena dragged her hand from her hair down her face. “I do not understand how you can be so blasé about this all. Today is important,” she said with such passion and Kara wondered if there was something more behind the fundraiser.

  
“I do understand. I was there when the building fell. I want to see this fundraiser succeed and to help people,” she assured, stepping forward, making her way to the foot of the bed. “I also understand the need to think about one’s body and needs,” she said as she climbed onto the bed, crawling towards the stubbornly glacial woman.

  
“We cannot have sex this morning,” Lena declared, as Kara had just reached her.

  
“Before you put your foot down fully, I just have two counterpoints. First, sex would help with all your stress,” Kara moved her finger about, pointing at all of Lena, while the woman put a hand to her chest, in mock offence. “Second, we could always multitask - do it in the shower.” Lena quirked a brow at that. “Four hands are better than two,” Kara reasoned, with a smirk.

  
“You've got me,” Lena confessed, her expression alight with hunger. She threw her covers aside and gave Kara a quick peck on the lips before slipping out of the bed. “I hope you can follow through,” she challenged.

  
“When have I not,” Kara shot back the question as she followed the other woman to the bathroom.

  
Outside the shower, she got in close for a kiss and Lena put a hand up to cover Kara's mouth. “We need to keep on track,” she dictated. “Go start the shower. I like it on the hot side,” she commanded.

  
Kara nodded and turned to do as she was told. She opened the glass door to the very spacious shower. “You know,” she called over her shoulder, “I half expected you to have a sunken bath.”

  
“I am wealthy, not wasteful,” Lena explained.

  
Kara was grinning as she leaned into the shower, turning the dial to start the stream. When she was satisfied about the temperature, she turned in time to see Lena stalk towards her in a sultry manner. Kara stepped backwards into the shower, letting Lena guide her until her back was against the wall.

  
Kara could not help the way her leg lifted to wrap itself around Lena as the woman pressed her body into Kara's. With the water washing over them, Lena kissed Kara in a way that made the water feel cold by comparison.

  
“Who is getting us off track now,” she bantered against Lena's lips.

  
“It seems we are not on the same page today,” Lena noted, taking a step back. With her brow cocked and a smirk tugging at her lips, she nodded toward the corner of the shower. “The soaps over there,” she indicated.

  
“Oh,” Kara laughed. “I see how it is!”

  
“I was under the impression that this was an excuse for you to have your hands all over my body,” she drawled and Kara bit her lip. “Was I wrong?”

  
To respond, Kara grabbed the bottle and squeezed an abundant amount into her hand, and after replacing the bottle, she rubbed her hands together, evenly distributing the soap. “Let’s get you clean,” she determined.

  
“It's funny - that might have been your best dirty talk line thus far,” Lena chuckled, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

  
“I would watch it,” Kara warned. “I have the power to make this shower super awkward,” she joked.

  
“I expect nothing less,” Lena sniped. With her mouth agape and her expression aghast, Kara shot her hands forward, palming Lena's breasts. After a gasp of surprise, Lena pursed her lips. “Really?”

  
“They were right there and they need to be clean,” Kara stated, matter-of-factly. She gave a small squeeze that had Lena giggling.

  
“Get on with it,” she exhaled, laughing.

  
“Are you ticklish?”

  
Lena's eyes went wide. “Don't you dare!”

  
Kara let her hands trail down, such that they were flat against the woman's stomach. “As you wish.” She guided Lena until their positions were such that the water hit Kara’s back. Her hands moved methodically over Lena's front, but she did not pass up on any opportunity to tease a nipple.

  
When she felt everything was thoroughly sudsed, she took one of Lena's arms and ran her hand up and down its length, caressing every inch. While she worked diligently, she would occasionally look up to see Lena watching her. On the surface, Lena seemed calm, blissful even, but Kara could sense the desire bubbling beneath.

  
Before moving on the the next arm, Kara made sure to interweave their fingers, while their eyes were locked together. She cared to each finger and the thumb, silently expressing that Lena was worth paying such close attention to.

  
Repeating every motion with the other arm, Kara noted how blown Lena's pupils were, how her nostrils flared with each breath. So, she was not surprised by the sharp intake of breath after she had turned them about and gotten on her knee. Kara clapped her hand on her horizontal thigh once, inviting Lena to place her foot upon it.

  
Lena placed her hands on the wall, bracing herself while she delicately rested her foot where Kara had indicated. Kara took another squeeze of soap and got to lathering up the leg. While she practically kneaded the quadricep, her fingers ran lightly over calf and hamstring. Lena looked ready to purr. And as she lifted and massaged soap into Lena's foot, the woman's eyes closed, head falling back, slightly.

  
When done, she guided the first foot back down to the floor and the second up to replace it. She worked even slower on that leg, listening to the hums and sighs, revelling in the way tension visibly left Lena's body.

  
Kara's hands were steady. They had learned Lena's body, knew their way around it. They knew the areas that preferred focus. And they could deny Lena nothing that day.

  
When she rose, she placed a soft kiss on Lena's lips, a promise of more, before turning the woman around to face the water. Her attention lay in easing muscles towards relaxation, with the washing of Lena's back was an added bonus. The woman leaned into her hands, but then turned about and their mouths were together and hands had no purpose other than to touch. Water poured over them, filled what little space was left between their bodies. Lena was done playing and Kara took the hint.

  
She had Lena face the water once more and wrapped her arms around the woman's torso, one hand traveling down between parted legs. The action was welcomed with a mantra of moaned affirmations.

  
With the brunette’s head against her shoulder and breath on her ear, Kara's pelvis automatically pressed against Lena's ass, seeking its own friction. She was single-minded, quick and rough with her strokes, seeking only to hear more of Lena's cries of pleasure. Her own voice joined Lena's and together they approached the ledge overlooking pure ecstasy. One of Lena's hands was buried in Kara's hair, while the other dug nails into her thigh. All she knew was frantic fingers and hot skin pressed to her body. And they stepped forward as one, falling into pure energy that tore through them, eradicating their sense of being.

  
When Kara returned to her body, regained her connection to her surroundings, she was surprised they had remained standing. Her hand had left an imprint in the wall of the shower and she barely had the sense to not chuckle at the thought of how Lena might have to explain that to someone.

  
Their breathing slowed in tandem. Finally, Lena's hand dropped away from her hair and Kara took a step back. “I will do my own hair,” Lena pronounced. “I would never make it to the fundraiser if you did - I would want to be in this shower forever.”

  
“Good to know,” Kara noted, with a grin, as Lena turned to face her. “I like knowing easy ways to earn brownie points,” she quipped. She froze as she tried to remember who she was with Lena as when they had a conversation about brownie points. “I am going to jump out,” she motioned with her thumb toward the fogged glass door.

  
“Are you not going to shower?” Lena asked. “You are free to use my stuff.”

  
Kara shook her head. “Kryptonians don't need to use soap. Our bodies function without sweating or becoming greasy. And dirt can be washed away with just water.”

  
“You are shitting me,” Lena groaned.

  
Kara eyed her thoughtfully but then cracked a smile. “Yeah, I am totally pulling your leg,” she chirped.

  
Lena was stunned. “You actually had me,” she admitted. “At least I know you can't keep anything from me without grinning that cheeky grin,” she groused.

  
Kara felt her heart skip a beat. “I have no idea what you are talking about,” she laughed uncomfortably.

  
“Yeah yeah, why don't you take your unclean self and find me an outfit,” Lena suggested.

  
Kara took the provided out, ducking out of the shower and snagging the towels Lena left for her. With one wrapped around body and the other containing her hair, she trotted to the walk in closet. She thumbed through a few blazers and dresses, but found herself at a loss for what to choose.

  
“Any luck,” Lena asked when she joined her.

  
“Not so much,” Kara admitted. “You own a lot of ties,” she noted aloud, looking at an assortment of ties in various colors and patterns.

  
“I never been one to follow the rules and always one to make a statement,” Lena confessed. “Plus they have a lot of alternative uses.”

  
Kara blushed. “Oh,” she squeaked.

  
Lena decisively snagged a hanger with a black blazer and a skirt. “Powerful but not overstated,” she noted, with a nod.

  
“Speaking of powerful,” Kara jumped topics. “I know I am physically strong, but I am not much of a speaker,” she reminded.

  
“Which is why I wrote your speech for today,” Lena returned. “You are a symbol of hope and you speaking at this event will work wonders.”

  
“You should be complimentary more often; I am enjoying this,” Kara joked.

  
“Don't get used to it,” Lena warned. Kara fake pouted as she bid her farewell, leaving to do her own preparation for the day.

  
~ oOoOo ~

  
The fundraiser was being held in an open park just outside LCorp. Kara watched the proceedings from above, observing the shifts of conversation and atmosphere. The park was set up with a stage at one end and circular table seating for the audience. There was an abundance of refreshments and a sizeable crowd filled the area.

  
Kara recognized a few faces - some of the police, firefighters, and EMTs, a few people who were living in the apartments, and a few elected officials. She was glad to see a fair number of people in attendance were not directly affected by the buildings collapse or there on duty.

  
At 1:00 on the dot, Lena took the stage to address the crowd. She listened to Lena's name whispered by many tongues and there was a mix of tones, from hesitant gratitude to cynicism. She had no way of knowing if Lena heard any of it, but the woman's voice was steady as it rang out across the park.

  
“Good afternoon, everyone,” she addressed. “I want to thank you all for coming to this important event.” The crowd went silent under her gaze. “It is always hard to endure loss, but I hope we can all see the strength of us, as a community, standing together. Today I am here to stand beside a hero, and together we shall face the future. Let us all welcome my honored guest,” she raised her hand to the sky and even with the distance between them, Kara felt like Lena was looking her in the eye, “Supergirl.”

  
~ oOoOo ~

  
There was a deafening roar from the crowd as the hero touched down beside her. Lena made a show of taking Supergirl's hand in her own and shaking, as a sign of alliance. Through the cacophony, she met the woman's eyes, silently conveying encouragement.

  
They reversed their positions, Supergirl taking the podium. From start to finish, Lena was captured. She knew the script, but with each tiny deviation, she felt Supergirl's genuinity. She could hear the soulful sentiments and honest care.

  
With all of that, it was when Supergirl added her own tangent that Lena was most heavily impacted. “I know what it is to lose a home,” the hero began, “but what I have learned from my time on Earth and here in National City, is that a home is more than a location. It is not just walls and a roof. It is security. It is a place to be alone or to invite loved ones to join you. It is a part of you.”

  
She returned to referencing what Lena had written, but the brunette heard none of it. All she heard was Supergirl's words, the ones that were supposed to be lies, telling her how she felt at home with Lena.

  
The speech ended with applause from the crowd, returning Lena to her duty as the face of LCorp. She smiled primly as she descended from the stage alongside Supergirl and people swarmed forward, each trying to get a word or a handshake.

  
Supergirl received more attention and Lena found she did not mind, until she noted the way the hero stuck firmly by her, frequently looking to catch Lena's eye, her jaw tight with uncertainty. Lena excused herself from those who vied for her attention and put her body between Supergirl and the unrelenting onslaught. “Supergirl has an obligation to fulfill, so all further questions can be directed at myself or LCorp staff and we shall let our hero take her leave.”

  
There was a surge of rushed questions and Lena turned to Supergirl, their eyes locking for a moment. “My office,” she stated and then nodded up toward the sky. Supergirl smiled gratefully and propelled herself into the air, to the collective gasp from the huddled crowd.

  
Then the flood of questions were all on Lena. It was a blur. She was well versed in the dance of words, framing things in a way that was advantageous, highlighting her purpose, diverting questions about her family. It was second nature. So, when Jess sent in some people to break up the crowd, she apologized to the crowd for not having more time, as she always did to end public addresses.

  
“Thank you Jess,” she was sure to say as she strode passed, a few incessant interviewers trailing behind her. “I shall be in my office,” she announced.

  
She heard Jess and others cut off her pursuers, informing them that they could reference the LCorp website for any further information. She was reminded of just how fortunate she was to have a private elevator.

  
As she entered her office, Supergirl was just landing on her balcony. Lena beckoned her in and the hero met her in front of the couch. Lena poured herself a glass of whiskey, wanting something stronger than usual.

  
“You handle a crowd very well,” Supergirl commented, as Lena turned to her. “I was watching from,” she pointed toward the sky outside the window, “above.”

  
“Thank you,” Lena responded in an automatically passive tone, still caught in her public persona. She took a soothing breath, reminded herself there was no need. “Supergirl,” she restarted, making sure she was looking the other woman in the eye. “I want to thank you,” she expressed, “for what you have done today.”

  
“Of course,” the hero grinned.

  
Lena shook her head, walking straight up to the blonde, bringing them within arms length. “I don't think you understand how much I appreciate what you have done.” She found it hard to form words; there were so many she wanted to say. “It is one thing to fight for the public and another thing entirely to face the public. And,” she swallowed, her throat feeling tight, “to stand by me.”

  
Understanding seemed to dawn on Supergirl. “Oh, Ms. Luthor, you-” Her expression faltered and her hand shot up to her ear. “This is Supergirl, go ahead,” she held a finger up to pause the conversation with Lena. It was not often that Supergirl left her earpiece in, but Lena was graceful in her patient nod of acknowledgement.

  
Supergirl's expression was intent, focused on hearing what she was being told. Lena's brow furrowed when the hero's jaw tensed and then her face paled. “No,” the blonde whispered, panic blossoming in widening eyes. “No, no,” she breathed again and Lena reached out, confused.

  
Supergirl grabbed her arm as she staggered, an invisible weight pressing down from above, and then powerful knees buckled and the hero fell, tugging Lena with her. The painful grip on Lena's arm was nothing compared to seeing the fear and sorrow on Supergirl's face.

  
The hero's eyes were unfocused as tears began to stream freely down her fallen face. “Hey,” Lena tried to draw her attention, free hand moving to the blonde's cheek. “What's going on?”

  
There was no indication that Supergirl heard her. The woman's body began to shake. “Alex will never forgive me,” she whimpered.

  
“Agent Danvers? Why would she not forgive you,” Lena tried to direct.

  
“I promised her I would save him,” came sputtered words, wet with tears.

  
“Who, Supergirl,” Lena pleaded with her to divulge.

  
The words were choked out just before the hero's lungs collapsed with the rest of her body. “Her father.”

  
Lena’s throat went dry. There was so much guilt and remorse, and she was witnessing first hand the weight of Supergirl's failures. And to see that it was so personal, that she felt so deeply for what she was unable to stop.

  
Lena coaxed the woman into her arms, let the hero squeeze her in a slightly too tight embrace, while Supergirl's body was wracked with fits of shaking and while screamed sobs made her throat raw.

  
~ oOoOo ~

  
After Supergirl left her office, citing that she needed to see how she could help, Lena had not seen her. She had decided to let the hero have her space, if she wanted.

  
She did reach out to Kara and invite the reporter over for lunch, the day following the fundraiser. She was surprised when the woman took her up on the offer. She could see the redness of the woman's eyes, even hidden behind her glasses.

  
“Kara, I am so sorry to hear about your adoptive father,” she rushed, coming around her desk to direct the woman towards the couch, dropping down next to her. “I was with Supergirl when she found out.”

  
“Thank you,” Kara murmured, “he is in Intensive Care. We do not yet know if he will make it,” the woman informed Lena. Without prompting, she continued, “the agents found him at an abandoned Cadmus facility, strung up and left to die.”

  
Lena felt her throat close up. “Holy shit,” she breathed, barely able to get the words out.

  
“He was left as a message, to Supergirl and those she works with, that Cadmus will not stop.”

  
Lena's jaw was tense and she struggled to keep down the bile that seemed to rise into her throat. To think that her mother might have had a hand in something so inhumane. “I am so sorry your family got dragged into it,” she bit out. She looked to shift gears. “You were,” she cringed at the ill chosen wording, “close to him?”

  
Kara drew in a steadying breath and Lena wished she knew how to offer a hug. “I did not know him for long. He was,” she seemed to consider phrasing, “recruited shortly after the Danvers took me in.” Lena nodded along with her words. “He was so welcoming and loving. I miss him so much,” she confessed.

  
Lena hesitantly put a hand on Kara's thigh, giving it one pat before settling, awkwardly. “I can-” she was about to offer to have some of her medically trained personnel look at his condition, when gunfire echoed through the building, drawing both their heads up.

  
Kara froze, but Lena was instantly in motion. “Kara,” she grabbed for the woman's hand, tugging her up, and herding her towards the panic room on the far side of her office. She keyed in the code that released the locks on the door and it slid open.

  
“I have to go,” Kara exhaled, shaking her head frantically as Lena tried to get her into the room.

  
“Kara, it is not safe out there,” Lena barked, as the woman's breathing became erratic and she saw the hints of panic.

  
“I did not mean for this-,” the woman started, but cut off, “this wasn't how-”

  
“Whatever your fears, we can deal with them,” Lena assured, hastily, flinching as more shots rang out, sounding closer. “Please, just get inside.” Kara took a heavy step forward. “One more,” Lena coaxed, and then shut the door. “It's alright. I will call Supergirl,” she insisted, hoping that would get through to Kara.

  
She dialed the hero, but as it continued to ring in her ear, she felt her heart sink. “She's not coming,” Kara whispered, and Lena felt the panic begin to infect her. “Lena, she-”

  
“It's alright,” Lena cut in, trying to keep things calm.

  
“No, Lena,” Kara croaked, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. “She's not coming,” she reached up to grip her glasses, pulling them slowly down the bridge of her nose. Lena saw those blue eyes, reddened by grief, and she recognized them.

  
She felt doubt threaten to swallow her whole. She felt realization crash over her and she drowned in conflicting feelings, pulled under by a flood of memories of moments where she should have seen. It was clear as day, but so confusing, as her world was turned on its side.

  
She felt the increased gravity drag her down, but strong hands grabbed her waist, held her up. There was no denying what was coming, no stopping the way it punched a hole through her chest. She knew before Kara said it.

  
“She's already here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *peeks out from behind desk* do you all still love me? Please say yes. Either way, strap in and prepare for impact! 
> 
> (Also, comments are appreciated.)


	8. Duality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And BOOM! 
> 
> Alright, so it was a little delayed. But, in all fairness, I really wanted to get this chapter right. Each moment required such care and attention, and my delicate heart was having a rough time of it. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“Go, Ms. Danvers,” Lena said, a cold bite to her words. Kara felt the life drain from her body; the hope she held onto, lost. “You have people to save,” the CEO reminded, hitting the button that opened the door to the panic room, and Kara swallowed any protest that bubbled up.

  
With her hands feeling tied, she stepped backwards out of the room, her legs heavier than when she was facing kryptonite. “Of course, Ms. Luthor,” she capitulated.

  
She willed herself to look away, to not use her X-ray vision, as the door slid shut before her, but she could not seem to be fast enough. She did not want to hear the way Lena's heart raced or how she choked on a sob. She did not want to see Lena's legs give out and watch her fall. And once that happened, she did not want to abandon her, did not want to have to face other people.

  
She did. She forced her limbs to move. She forced her heart to still so that she could focus on her obligations. She operated on autopilot, striping off her human guise and playing the hero. The attackers did not expect her to be on site and it was easy to apprehend them.

  
Kara was hardly present. She heard them say they were protesting Lena's association with aliens, but she did not register it fully. Her attention was constantly divided, time moving too fast and too slow at the same time.

  
She had held the weight of airplanes and buildings, but nothing compared to returning to Lena's office and finding her gone. There was not enough air in the room as her breathing accelerated with her heart. Her vision was a wash of colors and sounds drove her deep into her mind.

  
A hand touched her shoulder. “Supergirl?” She honed her senses in on the one person, letting her become a focal point.

  
“Jess,” she breathed.

  
Jess was looking passed her, to the cardigan sweater and pants on the floor. “Oh, Kara,” she vocalized her realization, “no wonder Ms. Luthor said she had to go.”

  
Kara felt the urge to cry threaten to overpower her. “You cannot tell anyone,” she barely had the presence of mind to say.

  
“Of course,” Jess confirmed, “but you need to go after her,” she nudged.

  
“Do I? We both know she would not want that,” Kara groaned. “She will need time to process,” she reasoned, “to-”

  
“Let herself drown in her sorrows? No, she may not like it, but things will turn out better if you go now,” Jess argued.

  
“Maybe, but I cannot force her to face me just because it might turn out better,” Kara declared, wishing she felt as steadfast as she knew she should be. “I will text her,” she decided, aloud.

  
“Good luck,” Jess offered, the sympathy doing nothing to divert the torrent of doubt. Gathering up her discarded clothing, Kara gave Jess a weak farewell and took to the skies.

  
She fumbled out a text, afraid she would crush her phone.

  
_Text to Lena: Let me know if you want to talk_

  
She went home, changed out of her suit, and paced around her apartment until she felt the walls closing in on her. She cursed her luck and wished she could have words with Rao. Why did the timing have to be so atrocious?

  
The pain of failing Jeremiah was amplified. Saying goodbye was one of her biggest fears and she could not help but feel like she was about to have to say it twice more.

  
She could not even talk to Alex. How could she face her sister after Jeremiah being hospitalized and ask for advice regarding Lena? She could not - she would not add the stress of there being two new people who knew her secret or bring light to her rather inconsiderate priorities, in the face of Alex's suffering.

  
And the other person she wished to talk to was Lena. She flew out the window, flying aimlessly, until she realized she was looking down at Lena's penthouse. She concentrated on keeping her lead-lined glasses in place, refusing to further infringe on Lena's privacy.

  
Propelling herself above the clouds, she faced the sun, wishing it would burn away her guilt, but finding its light cold. With the sun as the only witness, she screamed, letting her agony consume her like a wildfire. Her tears froze on her face and she might have been fascinated if she did not feel like her world was falling apart around her.

  
And then she let herself fall. She let herself be pulled back towards Earth, toward the consequences she had to face. The rush of the wind almost made her miss her phone beeping. She pulled a hard stop, her glasses flying forward before she caught them. She fished her phone from her pocket.

  
_Text from Lena: the balcony door is open._

  
And Kara's heart fell faster than her body. She was not ready - she had not formulated a way to broach the topic of her dual existence. Yet as she descended, her mind was blank, unable to run through words she might use.

  
She faltered as she landed and had no memory of her approach. She looked upon the open door and had never felt so unwelcome. She took a last moment outside and then entered.

  
She kept her eyes down, walking over mail and a newspaper strewn across the floor. The headline on the paper read How Well Does Lena Luthor Know Supergirl? It mocked her and her plight.

  
She looked up, no longer able to face the question. Her eyes found Lena, seated on the couch, a bottle of amber alcohol and a glass in either hand. “To be aware,” the woman broke the pregnant silence, “the reason I am talking to you now is because I understand your importance as the hero of National City,” she professed, “and I cannot allow you to jeopardize the city’s security on my account.”

  
Lena seemed determined to hold her gaze as she spoke, her tone even and diplomatic, like she was speaking at a board meeting. Her efforts were belied by the redness of her eyes and the heavy beat of her heart, but with her chin raised high, she was doing better than Kara.

  
Lena felt so much more imposing when she was all business. “Le-” Kara choked on her name, “Ms. Luthor, I understand-”

  
“What?” The woman was out of her seat. “What is you think you understand?”

  
Kara flinched. “I understand you feel be-” Kara looked away for a moment, “betrayed,” she finished.

  
When she looked up, Lena's arm was already in motion, her green eyes ablaze with rage. Kara watched the bottle of alcohol leave Lena's grip and soar with surprising accuracy at her. She let it shatter against her body, soaking her front, saturating the air with the sharp fragrance. Lena was paces behind the bottle, having dropped her glass where she had stood, and got straight up in Kara's face. “What the fuck do you know of betrayal,” Lena spat.

  
Kara could not hold back the tears that burned hot in her eyes, letting them fall and mix with the beverage that clung to her skin. “Please, let me explain,” Kara pleaded, her hands quavering at her sides. All she wanted was to hug Lena and tell her things would be alright.

  
“No, you listen,” Lena dictated and Kara clamped her jaw shut. “I don't think you understand what it is like, to have your perceptions shattered. To realize that you have hated,” Kara watched Lena swallow, heard her heart stutter, “and loved someone. That they are not two separate people.”

  
Kara broke eye contact and Lena let loose a strangled cry that tore apart Kara's heart. Hands were against her, bombarding her, trying to express what words could not. A particularly violent shove sent Lena reeling backwards, but when Kara tried to catch her, Lena shrugged her off. “Do not fucking touch me!”

  
“I am sorry,” Kara tried to cut in, jerking her hands back, fighting her every instinct. “If I could let you hurt me, I would,” she professed.

  
“Don't even start. You fucked me and then sat across from me, encouraging me to do more. With you!” Lena shook, her fingers buried in her hair. “You played at being supportive, but you are just narcissistic.” Lena put a hand on her own forehead, gripping, as if trying to hold her skull together. “Holy shit! I was so wrong about you.”

  
“Is that really how you see me?” The words caught Lena off guard. Tears were still flowing incessantly from Kara's eyes, but there was a steely quality that was not present before. “You think I was just having a laugh behind your back? Bolstering my ego by fucking you?”

  
It was disorienting to see the ferocity she associated with Supergirl in Kara. “I cannot see what else it could be,” she sneered.

  
“That is because you have never tried to look at living on Earth from an alien’s perspective.” The fire she saw behind Kara's eyes was irksome, much like every time Supergirl tried to play hero, as if Lena was both victim and villain. “You think that because you are human you have a monopoly on being afraid?”

  
Kara stepped forward and Lena had to resist the urge to step back. “As Supergirl it was straight forward - you did not want to know me,” she stated. “But as Kara Danvers, I was just afraid of rejection, solely based on my place of origin.”

  
Lena narrowed her eyes, the cold in her heart setting in a little deeper. “So, this is my fault,” she bit out.

  
“Listen to me,” Kara hollered, her intensity crashing through Lena, shaking her to the core. “This is not about blame - it is about circumstances not allowing for a perfect answer!”

  
It pissed her off, how Kara was still trying to win the day. After everything, she still had to be the hero, rather than recognizing her hand in ruining someone else. “Make your speech,” Lena intoned. “I cannot stop you.”

  
Kara pressed her tongue into the inside of her cheek and Lena knew she was trying to ignore the pointed barb. “Would you prefer me to walk out now?” Lena narrowed her eyes, unsure what Kara was trying to accomplish. “This relationship has been entirely on your terms; why would it stop now?”

  
If Lena's heart was not already frozen in her chest, she might have felt a chill from Kara's implication. Instead all there was was anger. “Excuse me?” She was about ready to fight fire with fire.

  
“You have made it clear your thoughts on aliens, on both sides of the line. When you thought I was human, you boasted about your technology for identifying aliens!” Kara turned away, for just a moment. “And as Supergirl, you could not bare to see me with a life outside of my roles in your life. Either way, I am not a person. Not to you.”

  
“That sounds an awful lot like blame,” Lena noted, acerbically.

  
“I am giving you context,” Kara was steadfast. “I thought the least harmful way was wait to see if you trusted me, as Supergirl.” Kara's brow was furrowed and Lena saw regret. With eyes distant, it was like Kara was not present. The fire was dying, burning out, leaving a husk. “It was not supposed to happen the way it did,” she murmured.

  
“Me finding out,” Lena guessed with a bitter laugh.

  
“The night I was under the influence of red kryptonite,” Kara corrected. Lena's heart gave an unbidden squeeze at the defeated tone. “You were not supposed to know that I wanted you. Not like that.” Lena watched her swallow. “And I was supposed to be stronger. Rao, I am so sorry,” she wept.

  
“So, you took the opportunity to sleep with me,” the comment was so quiet, but Lena had to remind herself that Kara had super hearing.

  
“I understand if that is what you think I was doing,” Kara returned in a similarly low volume, “and I am realizing now that while I thought I was being who you needed - a friend and a sexual partner - I was being selfish.” Her eyes were shut tight, expression twisted in pain. “I should have been only Kara or Supergirl, but I did not know how to choose,” she admitted. “Was I supposed to choose the chance at getting to know you or the chance of earning your trust?”

  
The question was internally directed, Lena could tell, but she found herself mulling it over. It left a sour taste in her mouth. If she had known Kara was a Kryptonian at the start, would she have treated their relationship differently? She did not want to reflect on that; she wished to instead latch on to the cold comfort of anger.

  
It was not possible, she realized, to separate herself from her feelings for Kara. They drilled a hole through the ice as she looked upon Kara's tear and mascara stained face and her alcohol soaked clothes.

  
She wanted to swear and scream and drive Kara away. It was an instinct. It seethed within her, like it had with Lex. She was reliving Lex’s betrayal, but this time the one she loved was less consumed with the workings of the world and was focused on her. Where Lex’s intentions encompassed her, Kara’s honed in on her.

  
“Why me?” Much like the sudden shift in Lena's cyclical thoughts, towards acknowledging how Kara and Supergirl were so singular in their- her focus, the words were unintentioned. She did not mean to put their conversation off track or to bring attention to the way it made her heart beat faster. She did not want to give the world the opportunity to yank at the rug beneath her feet. Not again.

  
Then she saw the hope in Kara's eyes, like the words were an indication of the hero's progress. A chance at success. “I told you, you are powerful, passionate, beautiful, caring,” she held up a finger with each trait, her hand shaking, and Lena grabbed her hand to stop her, but not before she said, “you are my world.”

  
Holding Kara's hand reminded her of how she had grown so accustomed to Supergirl's touch. It was warm in a way that felt so natural. “Yes, I recall you saying that,” she whispered, “but I do not get how you could see those things in me,” she insisted.

  
“That is because you are accustomed to the way other people perceive you,” Kara seemed to be picking up steam again, “but when you live in a world that openly vilifies your kind to your face, because they do not recognize that you are not actually human, you learn to see things differently. You are Lena,” she watched the flinch of hesitation and began to recognize the true length to which Kara went to respect her boundaries, “before you are Ms. Luthor.”

  
Lena closed her eyes and squeezed Kara's hand, letting it anchor her. She felt herself thaw, felt like she was able to face the issue without the casing of ice to protect her heart. “Kara, you realize that intent is not magic, right?”

  
She opened her eyes and watched the fear play across the blonde’s face. “I am understanding that more today than any day before.” In that moment, Lena knew that she could forgive Kara. It would not be immediate, but the shock no longer skewed her recognition of who Kara was.

  
She let her hand drop away and Kara slowly let her own return to her side. “I am going to need time,” Lena stated.

  
“Of course,” Kara hastened to grant, “take all the time you need!” Her words bubbled in that way that Lena found so endearing. “And you don't need to come to the conclusion that you want me the way I want you, or-”

  
“Oh, I want you,” Lena laughed, letting the action help steady her thoughts. “I always have,” she admitted, “but I need to piece you together, need to get used to the idea of, you know-” She felt almost giddy exhaustion as adrenaline left her system, her mind wandering.

  
Kara shifted awkwardly on the balls of her feet, watching Lena work through her thoughts. Then the woman's eyes widened. “What,” Kara pried, her stomach turning, unsure what was coming, but fearing they might backtrack.

  
“I have slept with Kara Danvers,” Lena breathed. “Those fingers and that cuteness - it's not fair!”

  
“Stop,” Kara laughed, “I am supposed to be the one who awkwardly jokes in the face of serious moments,” she reminded. She wanted so bad for it to not be a carrot dangled before her just to be snatched away.

  
Lena arched a brow. “I was not joking,” she declared, “and I am never awkward.” There was an airy quality to the words, but also a firmness.

  
“Oh, I would beg to differ,” Kara exhaled a laugh, wanting desperately to keep up the levity, to have things retain some semblance of normalcy. “I have seen you… uncomposed,” she struggled to supply an appropriate word, “and I am realizing that perhaps it is too soon to joke about that,” she trailed off. She felt sick, like any word she said could be the tipping point, back to Lena seeing the worst in her.

  
Lena shook her head. “You wouldn't be you if you didn't,” she chuckled.

  
“I am sorry,” Kara reiterated. She did not know that she would ever say it enough times to matter. She looked down. “I should probably change,” she noted how her shirt stuck to her body.

  
“Right,” Lena but her lip, “I am sorry about that,” she granted.

  
Kara shrugged, “it's your alcohol you wasted.”

  
“It was a very nice bottle,” Lena stated, seeming to consider the loss.

  
“It smells terrible,” Kara rebuked. “Could be that it is overwhelming when it is all over,” she waved her hand about her body, “but I might have to not stand too close to people for a few days,” she quipped.

  
Lena rolled her eyes. “You can use my shower,” she offered.

  
Kara nodded her thanks. “I should probably not track glass through your home and especially not into the bathroom,” she considered aloud. “I hear glass and bare feet are not great together.”

  
“Go shake yourself out outside,” Lena suggested.

  
“I am not a dog,” Kara faux-protested, smirking weakly at her attempt at playfulness.

  
“That's not what I was implying- you were joking,” Lena groaned. “You need to stop doing that. My heart almost gave out,” she griped.

  
“It sounds fine,” Kara giggled. Lena glared, but Kara could see it was not the same as what she faced not ten minutes earlier. “Alright, alright, I am going,” Kara chuckled and lifted a few inches off the floor. “Don’t move,” she directed, before floating backwards out to the balcony, pulling the doors shut.

  
Spinning rapidly, the area with pelted with droplets of alcohol and tiny shards of glass, which she had every intention of clearing away with a vacuum later. Upon her return, she found that Lena had not listened and had grabbed her a fresh set of clothes and two towels, as well as a trash bag. “I expect to get this shirt back,” Lena warned, and Kara noted that it was the tee shirt she worn previously. “I will hunt you down for it,” she declared.

  
Kara held her hands up defensively. “You have my solemn vow,” she stated.

  
“You know where the shower is,” Lena commented and Kara nodded awkwardly. There was a mutual stiffness, with Kara recognizing that Lena was realizing that while she had never shown Kara Danvers the shower, she actually had.

  
“Yes, thank you,” she took the proffered items and floated off toward the bathroom. Kara wondered if things would ever feel normal between them. She also wondered if she deserved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did we all make it through? Anyone die along the way? *starts counting heads* 
> 
> So, this chapter was originally planned to be the final chapter, but I decided that I have it in me to write one more. Look forward to that!


	9. Stronger Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! And welcome to the final chapter of this almost-a-one-shot doozy of a ride!
> 
> Before we get to things, I want to say sorry for making you all wait. But, in my defense, I threw out my back flipping tables due to the direction the show has taken, on a few fronts. 
> 
> That aside, here is the grand finale! Please enjoy!

Lena sat at her desk, weeks after she had found out about Kara being Supergirl. The days had dragged by - she had nothing to do, but plenty to think about. Her thoughts rarely strayed away from Kara.

  
Despite having more time on her hands, she was falling behind on work. She had to dole out tasks she usually had no issue doing herself. It was reminiscent of the weeks following Lex’s betrayal, but she knew that Kara was giving her space.

  
She had hardly seen the blonde. Many nights she had woken up to an empty bed and wished she could just hold onto the warm body that had become such a soothing existence. Then she would remind herself that the body was Kara and all of the conflicting thoughts and feelings would return.

  
To know that Kara wanted to be with her as something more than friends, she would feel the wash of elation. Her body would buzz and her heart would race happily.

  
Knowing that Kara had lied, and been intimate with her amidst that lie, however complicated, made her question whether trust could ever be formed. Doubt sat heavy in her gut, its tendrils spreading through her, conquering any ground she gave it.

  
She wanted so badly to believe that Kara deserved her trust, but she recognized Kara's absence in her life as being counter productive. She needed Kara to ground her promises in visible actions. And yet, Lena did not know how to ask for that. It had ended so poorly when she had asked Lex to reconsider his stance.

  
And each time her thoughts circled to Lex, she had to relive the dark days of guilt. She would spiral inward, lose ground to the self-loathing, fight battles she had already won.

  
It brought with it nausea, and then the feeling of the world crushing in on her. Her vision faded inward and she felt her lungs beg for breath that would not seem to come. And she knew she was about to ride out the anxiety alone and there was the thought that she deserved it clawing at the base of her skull.

  
“Breathe,” she demanded of herself, trying to find purchase on reality before panic fully set in.

  
_Ding_. The high note of the elevator in the hall cut sharply through the wash of muted noise that circled her mind. She realized that she needed to find a way to let Jess know that she could not take a visitor; she could not handle someone seeing her.

  
“Oh, Kara!” She heard Jess greet in a chipper tone. “Did Ms. Luthor invite you by?”

  
“Oh, no, Snapper sent me, unfortunately,” came the response, so clear within the background noise. “Do you think I would be bothersome? I don't want to impose, you know?”

  
It was like a jolt to her system, shocking her into clarity. Air was in overabundance and her senses kicked into hyperdrive. She sucked in oxygen greedily, then tried to regulate her state. “I think it would be great for her to see you,” Jess stated. “She has been,” there was a pause, “off her game,” she finished.

  
Lena was out of her seat. Her gait was choppy at first, but smoothed out as she approached her office doors. “Is that my fault?” Kara asked.

  
Lena threw open the doors and both women jerked their heads toward her. “I may not have super hearing, but I would honestly be surprised if people three floors down could not hear you two,” she announced.

  
The two exchanged a glance and Jess cleared her throat. “Right, I have,” she looked toward her desk, which she stood in front of, “paperwork,” she input.

  
“We will leave you to it,” Lena stood aside, waving Kara into her office. Kara looked back to Jess, who gave her an encouraging gesture, before following Lena's directive.

  
With the doors shut, Kara’s eyes locked with hers. Lena watched her brow furrow. “Are you alright? Your heart is-” Cautious fingers approached, hovering before Lena’s breast. “Do you want me to leave? I can tell Snapper you were unavailable,” she offered, hastily.

  
Lena watched the fingers, wondering what she would do if she were touched. “I am fine,” she assured, knowing full well that Kara could hear the tremor in her voice and the way her heart reacted to the lie. She was practiced in hiding her turmoil from humans, but there was nothing to be done about talking to a Kryptonian.

  
Kara's hand fell away and Lena realized she would not press; she would take the words at face value and treat them as truth. Lena could not tell if it was part of Kara's nature or if it was just a matter of routine, to not call bullshit on every lie. It fell in line with all of the questions that had cropped up, regarding Kara, that roiled her mind. Was the woman truly respectful or was it just in her best interest?

  
She saw flashes of images, most of which involved that passionate stare of clear blue eyes and the raw power behind them. She wondered if there was a chance she had seen wrong, perhaps projected a perfect image on the woman she was attracted to. And then she remembered Supergirl, the woman she was supposed to hate, and how she had become enraptured by the gaze that belonged to that woman. And how everything she had associated with Kara had shown through in Supergirl, and in such an unadulterated manner. Where Kara had spoke with passion, Supergirl had acted with it.

  
And yet they both stood before Lena, subdued and disconnected. It held stark contrast with what Lena desired, but could only acknowledge when faced with what she lacked. She wanted to fix things, wanted to give Kara another chance, starting from a point where they were on the same page. Kara was making it clear that she had to be the one to open the door, and while the gesture was appreciated for its regard for her autonomy, she found it daunting to have their relationship in her hands.

  
“How is-” Lena realized she did not know the name of Kara’s adoptive father.

  
“Jeremiah?” She nodded, assuming Kara understood her intent. “He woke up briefly, yesterday, actually. The doctors are confident he will make a full recovery, with time,” she smiled weakly.

  
“I am glad to hear it,” Lena offered. It left Lena feeling off kilter, to have a conversation regarding a topic that had brought Supergirl to her knees feel so shallow. “Would you like to step outside?” She nodded toward the balcony. “It might help clear the air between us.”

  
“I would like that,” Kara indicated and Lena led the way. The air was cool against her reddened cheeks and her body shivered as it adjusted. When she turned around, Kara's eyes were closed, her face turned up toward the sun, basking in its warmth. She was certain the blonde did not know she was looking.

  
“Kara?” As the woman's chin jerked down and eyes snapped open, she blushed. “I want to revisit something you said the other day.” She could tell by the way Kara awkwardly shifted her weight from foot to foot that there was clear understanding of which day she referenced. “If I recall correctly, you said that our relationship was entirely on my terms,” Lena reminded.

  
Kara looked away for a moment, but then made an effort to draw her eyes back. “I was kinda hoping you forgot about that bit,” she admitted, with a forced laugh.

  
“There is no forgetting,” Lena stated.

  
“Right,” Kara nodded, wetting her lips. “Prepare for word vomit,” she warned.

  
“I would be concerned if there were none,” Lena offered.

  
Kara breathed deeply. “First off, I was exaggerating in the heat of the moment,” Kara began. “It's just-” she worried her lip, “I take a lot of care to consider my position in our relationship, with regards to my strength, and how it plays into your fears.” Another long breath. “Between us, there is no question that I could overpower you,” Kara seemed determined to hold Lena's gaze for that statement and Lena could see the effort it took, “and it is my job to be worthy of your trust on that front and your right to refuse to afford me that trust.

  
“In a different area, namely human versus alien, you hold the cards.” It was Lena's turn to struggle with not looking away. “You have the entire world at your back and the fears I have - of being hated, or outed, or seen as less than human - they were never considered in your actions.”

  
Lena opened her mouth to speak, her mind racing, trying to conjure a defense, but Kara raised a hand to cut her off. “Wait,” she pleaded and Lena's jaw snapped shut. “I know there was no reason for you to think you had to act differently. I look human,” she acknowledged, “and I know I should not resent you. But knowing does not help what I feel.” Her shoulders hung lower. “I am only human.”

  
“Kara,” Lena sighed, feeling her throat tighten with guilt.

  
“Of course, I mean that in a human versus machine kind of way,” Kara hastily interjected.

  
“Kara-”

  
“Or, like, any other non-feeling entity-”

  
“Kara!”

  
The hero blinked. “Sorry. Yes?”

  
“I know what you meant,” Lena conveyed, chuckling.

  
Kara nodded. “Right, sorry.”

  
“No,” Lena pressed, finally setting on what she wanted to say, “I am sorry.” Kara looked dumbfounded. “I- knowing you has brought to light the fact that I need to do a bit of introspection. I need to closely examine the way that I speak, and act,” she professed, “and frankly, the way I think about aliens, as a group.” The way Kara's eyes lit up gave Lena the courage to continue. “And you can help me with that,” she offered. “You have helped me with that,” she added.

  
“Thank you, Lena!” An infectious smile spread across Kara's lips, “for being,” she gestured toward Lena, “you.”

  
Lena rolled her eyes, but could not help the way her body began to tingle. “I propose we start fresh, from this moment,” she declared. “I am Lena Luthor,” she stuck out her hand.

  
“Hello,” Kara returned, taking Lena's hand in her own, “I am Kara Zor-El.”

  
~ oOoOo ~

  
Kara paced around her apartment, wringing her hands to try to relieve some of the nervous energy. She stopped to rearrange the fruit on the table, wanting everything to be perfect when Lena arrived. No matter how she stacked the darned things, the pile seemed lopsided.

  
There was one peach that had no place among the otherwise symmetric pile, and while Kara debated how to fit it in, a knock came at the door. As she spun away from the table, her fingers clenched, lodging themselves deep in the flesh of the peach. With guts oozing between her fingers and juice running down her arm, she gasped, “Rao, why?”

  
She hollered to announce she would be right there and then looked down at her hand. Even splaying her fingers, the peach stubbornly gripped her, and in desperation, she shook her hand as she hastened toward the door. The peach flew from her hand to splatter against the far wall, clinging to the spot it hit.

  
“Kara, are you alright,” she heard from the other side of the door.

  
In an effort to seem fine, she yanked the door open, with her peach-free hand. Her awkward wave brought Lena's eyes straight to the sticky shine of juice. “Yes, hi,” she blurted, “come in! Don't mind the mess.”

  
Gravity finally got the better of the peach and it dropped to the floor with a wet thud. Lena’s brow furrowed and she took a step forward, leaning over the doorframe to look for the culprit behind the sound. She eyed the scene - the trail of juice down the wall and the remains on the floor, hardly resembling a peach. She chuckled as she righted herself. “Have you never handled a peach before?”

  
Kara huffed. “You know that I have,” she said. As soon as the words left her mouth, she clapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide. She regretted that, as her hand began to adhere to her face.

  
A laugh burst from Lena. “You truly are getting the hang of things; now we just have to work on your timing,” she shook her head, “and you have to learn to keep a straight face.”

  
As she peeled her hand from her face, Kara was hyper aware of the atmosphere between them; it felt normal, much like it had, but she could not help but wonder if it was organic. Was Lena thinking about how it felt, obsessed with making it perfect? Or was she alone in that?

  
“It is hard to be straight around you,” she had meant to consider the statement before saying it, to question whether it was appropriate, but it was an automatic response. There was a degree of certainty that Lena would just turn around and walk out, especially in the moment when she stood with one eyebrow cocked, staring Kara down. It had Kara's heart racing, but the woman just smiled.

  
“I would normally advise to quit while ahead,” she explained as she stepped in and shut the door, “but I also cannot say I hate it when you push your luck,” she noted.

  
It had been nearly a month since Lena had met Kara Zor-El, and while Kara still questioned everything she said, often long after it had been said, she felt hope for a sense of normalcy growing ever more powerful. “Who said luck had anything to do with it,” she quipped, heading for the sink while Lena put aside her bag and shoes.

  
“I think history speaks for itself,” Lena joked as she joined Kara in the kitchen. “You have made quite the mess,” she noted.

  
“I can explain,” Kara insisted as Lena wet some paper towels and began dabbing at Kara's face.

  
“I am sure you could, but I am fond of the story I have in my head,” Lena chuckled. Kara pursed her lips as Lena's hand pulled away. “Nothing can beat the image of ‘When Peaches Attack’,” she gestured as if to display a headline proposal.

  
“It was horrific,” Kara declared, dramatically, and received a grin for her commitment to the story Lena provided.

  
“What will be more terrifying is if you let that juice dry on your wall,” Lena threw out the paper towel she used to clean Kara's face and replaced them with a new damp handful. Kara washed her hand and then followed with her own set. They made quick work of cleanup and soon made their way to the couch.

  
“So, there are a few new shows on Netflix that I was thinking of checking out,” Kara announced. “Are you interested in watching something?” She plopped down on the couch, settling in, but when she looked up, Lena was looking at her pensively.

  
“Actually, Kara, to wanted to ask you,” she paused and Kara braced, the worst case scenario thoughts rushing to the forefront, “do you still want something more than friendship?”

  
“Uh, yeah,” she blurted, with a snort.

  
“I ask because lately you have been distant, physically,” Lena explained.

  
Kara furrowed her brow. “I have been respecting your boundaries,” she insisted, “giving you space.”

  
Lena exhaled a sharp laugh. “There is giving someone space and there is going out of your way to avoid contact,” Lena argued.

  
Kara balked. “I have not been avoiding contact,” she protested.

  
“What do you call dropping a glass instead of handing it to me,” Lena enquired.

  
“Being clumsy,” Kara shot, immediately.

  
“You? Clumsy? That is reassuring,” Lena quipped. “What about the time you saved me from that explosion by wrapping yourself around me and then vanished, one moment to the next,” Lena pressed.

  
“There were other people to save, Lena,” Kara argued.

  
Lena waved it off. “Alright, but what about the time I fake tripped and instead of catching me, you just stepped aside?”

  
Kara felt heat rising in her cheeks. “The couch was right behind me and-” she stopped her flurry of words. “You fake tripped?”

  
“I am not clumsy,” Lena declared with a smirk. “I was testing a hypothesis and you acted right along the lines of what I suspected.”

  
“That's just cruel,” Kara huffed.

  
“So,” Lena seemed less confident about going forward, “why are you going to such lengths?”

  
Kara felt the drum of her heart in her ears. “I am afraid,” she finally managed.

  
“Of what,” Lena eyed her with such concern that she almost had to look away.

  
“Not being able to hold back,” Kara admitted.

  
“Oh, Kara. That is not how it works,” Lena cooed. “It is not in your nature to disregard set boundaries.”

  
Kara nearly choked on a sudden sob. “But I have,” she reminded.

  
“The boundaries you broke were not explicitly set and they were less disregarded and more overlooked.”

  
Kara frowned. “That doesn't help,” she noted.

  
“Kara, you have touched me before and it has not led to you losing control,” Lena returned. “Come here,” she offered a hand down to Kara. The hero hesitated, facing off with the hand, warring within herself. All of her fears and regrets surfaced.

  
It was a desire to prove Lena correct that drove Kara take the hand, to stand before the woman. She might have found amusement in the way their hearts picked up pace at the same time, but she was so focused on trying to not squeeze too hard and to look Lena in the eye. “Would you like a lesson on what happens when you touch me?”

  
Kara exhaled a laugh, so unsure of herself. “Are you sure I am the one who needs practice?”

  
“With dirty talk?” Kara nodded. “That was not dirty talk; that was an invitation.” Kara let Lena lead her hand forward, let her hand be pressed to Lena's chest, so that she could feel the powerful heart as much as she heard it. She closed her eyes, concentrated on the steady rhythm, let her pulse sync with it. “I want you to touch-”

  
Kara did not let her finish. She brought their mouths together, but was jarred away by the sharp clack that sounded through the room. “Oh fuck, don't break my teeth,” Lena swore, her hand over her mouth. “I would prefer to keep those,” she screwed her eyes shut through the pain.

  
“Oh Rao, I am so sorry,” Kara breathed.

  
Lena waved her off. “Just take it slower,” she advised. “There is no rush - I am not going anywhere.”

  
“Right, yes, slow. I can do slow. Like a turtle dragging its feet,” she rambled, nodding all the while and shaking her hands out.

  
“Okay, not that slow,” Lena grabbed her by the collar and tugged, but Kara was not prepared to move, so the motion brought Lena teetering toward her. Kara automatically wrapped her arms around the woman, steadying her. “At least this time you caught me,” Lena jeered. “I would have been really upset if you hadn't.”

  
Kara giggled shyly. “Shall we try again?”

  
“Just kiss me,” Lena commanded. And Kara obliged.

  
It was tender, to start, but quickly became heated. It was familiar, in taste and rhythm, the push and pull. What was different was the way their bodies felt so natural together, as hands and tongues explored. The neediness was there, but it was second to the sense of synergy. As Kara pushed forward with her tongue, Lena gripped Kara's ass and pulled them ever closer to each other. As Lena tugged at Kara's bottom lip with her teeth, Kara ran nails up Lena's spine, a shared shiver going through them. There was no concern for the fact that their chests heaved as they shared breath. They did not slow until the moment they pulled apart, their eyes locking.

  
“Does that blouse need to keep its buttons,” Kara asked, breathily.

  
Lena shook her head with a knowing grin. “Certainly not,” she allowed. Kara's hands tore the blouse open, lips instantly meeting flesh, ignoring the buttons that fell away. As she kissed Lena's collarbone and tugged the shirt from her shoulders, Lena made quick work of taking Kara's hair down, so as to bury her fingers in free tresses.

  
Lena's body was not new to her, the shape and feel. She knew the best places to kiss and the best times to bite. It was entirely different to just let her hands and mouth move. She still delighted in the way Lena's breath hitched when Kara sunk her teeth into the crux where Lena's shoulder met her neck. She grinned at the string of swears to leave Lena's mouth as Kara's thumbs rolled over bra covered nipples. There was no expectation for her to remain focused or obligation for her to reach a goal. Kara only removed her hands from Lena's body when she realized she wanted Lena to touch her, too. She grabbed at the hem of her cardigan, desperate to discard the barrier.

  
“Wait,” Lena breathed, her hands coming to rest on Kara's. Kara felt her chest deflate in preparation for being told they were going to fast. Lena sensed her fears and was quick to assuage. “I just want to look at you a moment,” she clarified, “the sweater and glasses look really gets me in the mood, so I would like to hold on to it.” Kara blushed under her stare. “Alright, ditch the top, but keep the glasses,” Lena directed.

  
Kara did not think she could name another time her hands moved so fast, nor a time she was so quick to follow orders. And she was well rewarded, as Lena's hands met her stomach, fingers splaying. “I hardly let myself look, before,” Lena acknowledged, with a hint of sadness, “you are so beautiful.”

  
“My glasses are up here,” Kara joked and Lena chuckled with her before kissing her and shoving lightly. Kara let herself drop back onto the couch. “You know, I may not live in a penthouse, but I have a bedroom and it even has a bed,” she jibed.

  
“You had best show me to it,” Lena stated.

  
Kara stood and took Lena's hand, leading her at as human a pace as she could manage. Lena did not seem to mind and when she turned back, the woman was smiling in a way that shown through in her eyes. Kara released her hand and began stripping away her pants and shoes. Lena was a step ahead of her and as Kara dropped her bra, the final piece of clothing she wore, away from her body, she found Lena's eyes on her. They were not hungry like she was accustomed to, just filled with adoration.

  
Lena took the lead and backed herself onto the bed, while Kara followed closely. She immediately settled between Lena's legs, faced with the glistening evidence of Lena's arousal at the apex of her thighs and the heady aroma that never ceased to make Kara's mouth water. Lena's jaw was slack and her pupils blown, and she seemed unconcerned with, if not more turned on by, the near bruising grip Kara held as she guided Lena's legs further apart.

  
Kara had barely a taste when Lena's hand pressed to her forehead and a throaty moan cut through the air. “Oh shit,” Lena groaned and Kara pressed her tongue more firmly into her. “No no, wait,” Lena gasped and Kara froze. “It will be over too quickly,” she breathed. Kara cocked a brow as her lips parted from Lena, hovering close. “I could cum just looking at you between my legs.”

  
“Is it the glasses,” Kara pondered aloud, her breath eliciting a quiver that ran through Lena's body. “You know I do not mind going multiple rounds, right?”

  
“Oh, I know,” Lena assured, “but I do not have the same constitution and would prefer not to pass out after five minutes.”

  
Kara grinned. “Fair enough,” she granted as crawled further up the bed. With Lena's legs wrapped around her waist, she placed a soft kiss on Lena's lips. Prior to that moment, kissing was generally reserved for foreplay, but she felt necessity compel her to change that. “What would work better for you,” she asked as her lips moved toward Lena's neck.

  
“I want you inside me,” Lena husked, her breath tickling Kara's shoulder.

  
“I think I recall you saying my fingers ruin you,” Kara chuckled, lips grazing Lena's pulsepoint, elated by the heat that rose beneath her touch.

  
“If you do that-,” Lena faltered as Kara took her earlobe between her teeth, “vibrating thing,” she continued shakily, “you will ruin me. I just need to feel you,” she clarified. “There will be time for intensity, later.”

  
Kara smiled at the promise. “I can manage that,” Kara declared. She snuck her hand between them, a tremor tearing through her body as her knuckle brushed by her own clit, causing her movements to momentarily stutter. She was brought back on track by the warmth radiating from Lena's core.

  
Slick thighs welcomed her and the twitch she felt beneath her fingers echoed the desire that colored Lena's face. She eased in until she was snugly fitted to Lena's body. They sighed together, each recognizing how the curve of Kara's fingers matched so perfectly to Lena. Kara curled her fingers experimentally, brushing the tips against the upper wall, and Lena's hips bucked up into her palm. Her insides mimicked the powerful flutter she felt around her fingers.

  
There was a profound euphoria in the absence of a role. The encounter was not about give and then receive; it was about the shared experience. Kara felt the intimacy of connection and the freedom of trust. It was exciting in a way she had never experienced. In those moments, everything seemed to be without an end or beginning, just existing. Pleasure was an afterthought, a convenient byproduct of them being together.

  
After the barest of motion, Lena cried out, “Kara, yes!” Kara’s fingers twitched unbidden at her name being said by Lena in that way. It had Lena calling her name again and Kara canted her hips. The rich timbre of Lena's voice quaked more with each time she said Kara's name. Kara breathed Lena's name, into the woman's neck, like it was deserving of more reverence than even Rao’s name. Over and over she rasped it, hoping only for Lena to hear her prayer.

  
Lena’s body tensed fiercely and Kara barely had the presence of mind to keep her fingers working. Kara’s orgasm was more cerebral, born of emotion rather than stimulation. It hummed through her body, mellow but incessant, soft embers rather than a raging fire. Lena had collapsed long before Kara felt the world return to her.

  
Lena returned to herself first and her hands had never seemed to desire Kara in the way they did that day. Their only purpose was to explore, not to conquer. They wanted to know every inch, but had no final destination. And Lena's tongue wanted nothing but to taste, to learn what she had never thought she wanted to know.

  
And Kara loved it. She thought there was nothing more she could want, until Lena said, “Kara,” and then waited for a sign of acknowledgement, receiving a soft hum, “I think I could love you,” the woman whispered, as if afraid that if she raised her voice any, she would shatter the atmosphere.

  
Kara chuckled. “You think you could?”

  
“Well, I don't know you that well, yet, but I think if I ever love someone, it will be you,” Lena confessed.

  
Kara's heart sang. “Khuhp chad rraop khuhtiv zhor.”

  
“What does that mean?”

  
Kara smiled. “I give you my heart, or my heart is yours,” she professed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone that made it this far, I want to thank you, so much. It has been a blast writing this story and getting so much positive feedback and support! I would love to hear your final thoughts!
> 
> I want to give special thanks to GlitterIbbur for being a patient beta amidst my many stages of flailing. 
> 
> For those hoping for more Supergirl related stories from me, I have been considering writing a new story that is more slice of life, with less (probably no) smut, revolving around a version of Kara that is struggling with gender identity. If that is something you are interested in seeing, let me know. I have yet to draft anything and it is totally up in the air.


	10. Epilogue: Where Experiments Lead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE!
> 
> Okay, so, the story of Duality is complete, but, that does not mean that things just end for the characters. Many people said they wished they could see where their relationship took them and I was writing a piece that was not originally intended to be a continuation of this tale, but fit so well, so here we are!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

“Do you trust me?”

At the time, the question seemed hardly worth thought. Of course Kara trusted Lena. Lena knew about her Kryptonian heritage, her most closely guarded secret. She had talked to Lena about her parents and her home. She had divulged her fears regarding Red-K and why they held her back. They had even talked about the time Red-K had nearly led to Kara doing things to Lena she could never take back.

They had been dating for months, but Kara struggled to let go of her fears. Lena had noticed.

“Kara,” Lena had whispered, while they were cuddling after a night where they had experimented with Lena’s collection of ties. Kara noted the soft touch of sadness. “Are you alright?”

Kara was the big spoon and neither could see the other’s face, but she heard the way Lena was trying to control her breathing, the pattern so consistent and less natural. “What do you mean?”

“You think I have not noticed the way you never let me touch you once we get started?”

Kara unconsciously averted her eyes, despite there being nothing to avoid. “You _have_ touched me,” she asserted, weakly.

Lena inhaled deeply. “You know what I mean.” Kara heard her swallow. Felt her tense, brace herself. “Do you not- is it not- am I-” Kara did not need any of the questions to be completed. She knew Lena’s fears, knew how her avoidance had been received.

“No, Lena, no-” Kara blurted, hugging Lena closer to her body, “I- I am afraid… of myself.”

“I don’t understand,” Lena said after a beat.

“I spent so much of my time on Earth holding back,” she explained, “to pass as human, to not hurt anyone,” her voice faltered and Lena’s hand was immediately over hers, steadying her, comforting her, “it takes its toll, always having to think about my actions.”

There was pregnant silence between them. Kara felt panic surge within her, rear its head within the depths of her heart. She released Lena and shifted onto her back, tearing springing to her eyes. Lena turned about, sitting up, so she could look Kara in the eye.

“Kara, you do not have to be afraid with me,” she assured.

“But I am,” Kara choked, tears finally falling, down the sides of her face.

“Can I help?”

Kara’s chest heaved with a sputtering laugh. “I don’t know,” she blinked, trying to recollect herself, but to no avail. “It was easier, when you didn’t know,” Kara managed.

“About you being Supergirl,” Lena guessed and Kara nodded.

“You were more on edge, before, and that made it easier to always remember to be conscious; it was like a reminder was built into our relationship,” she recalled. “And now, I feel like I have so much more to lose, and I just want you to feel safe with me. I love that you do-”

“And you have shouldered this alone,” Lena chuckled sadly. “You don’t have to, Kara. You know that, right? I know that is the hero way, sometimes, but, I don’t need a hero, always.”

“I _know_ ,” she insisted, “like, intellectually, rationally,” she shook her head, “but I don’t always know in here,” she tapped her chest, over her heart.

Lena nodded, her gaze so steady. “I understand,” she offered. “We can work on that, together, if you want,” Kara nodded. Lena’s expression brightened slightly. “I can also try to work on a way of removing your need for fear,” she offered, “since the emotional stuff will take time.”

And that was how Lena ended up taking on a side project, on top of all the work she did as the CEO of L-Corp. The project was a modification of Cadmus technology, meant to drain Kara of her power, but instead of harnessing it as raw energy, it would be transferred to Lena. The idea was to drain Kara partially, to put them on equal footing, so there was nothing to fear; they would remove the chance of Kara doing permanent damage.

As they sat across from each other, wires running between the devices on either of their heads, Lena smiled reassuringly. “The effects are temporary,” she reminded. Kara nodded, feeling excitement building. “All you have to do is release the power into the helmet,” Lena instructed. It was unnecessary, as they had done a trial previously, with a small amount of Kara’s power, to be sure the device would not harm Lena.

Kara summoned the emotions that fueled her heat vision. And she released everything that weighed on her. Anger. Fear. And the sense that she was not enough for Lena. Her tears vaporized instantly as she screamed. And in the midst of it all, she forgot to hold back.

Lena’s body jerked with the surge of power. There was a weak grunt and then she screamed. “Kara, stop!”

It was enough to snap Kara out of her spiral. She slumped back in her chair, eyes closed. After a few moments of heavy breathing and exhaustion setting in, she opened her eyes. “Lena,” she choked out. She could not hear the other woman’s heart and panic began to set in before she realized she could not hear anything beyond the soft hum of the machines and her own breathing.

“Kara, your heart-” Kara felt instant relief at the sound of Lena’s voice. “It is so loud,” her girlfriend groaned. “Fuck, there is noise everywhere.”

“Welcome to my life,” Kara managed a chuckle. She rocked forward, sighing as she began to adjust to being mostly without her powers. She accessed her senses - muted and dulled. She flexed her hand - feeling slow. “I may have overdone it,” she murmured.

“You think?” Lena chuckled.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, finally putting it together that Lena would be sensitive to noise. “Are you alright?”

She watched Lena remove her head gear, curious green eyes looking about, head jerking slightly as she was bombarded with sounds from all sides. “It’ll take some getting used to,” Lena admitted and stood. “Everything feels so light,” Kara watched Lena roll her shoulders and neck, assimilating to new gravity.

“I don’t feel entirely spent,” Kara supplied, “so, you probably can’t fly or use my breath or heat vision,” she hypothesised, as she put her own helmet aside.

“I am not inclined to find out, right now.” She turned her attention to a heavy metal table, grinning before bracing to lift it.

“Lena, you shouldn’t-”

Lena lifted it easily, nearly throwing it into the ceiling, but her fingers were deeply imbedded in the metal, keeping it from escaping her hand. “Oh shit,” she breathed.

“Yeah, uh, you have to be careful,” Kara trailed, “and don’t grip so hard,” she instructed.

As Lena removed her hand from the table and replaced it on the ground, she was grinning. “This is so fascinating,” she was practically giggling.

“It seems you are not experiencing sensory overload,” Kara noted, adding, “that’s good.” Lena confirmed with a nod. “You just have to remember to be careful around humans,” Kara pressed, “I am not as fragile as them, but, still, you are very strong,” she nodded toward the table and its permanent finger holes.

“Of course,” Lena nodded and then Kara watched her disappear into her head, wheels turning, as she did when she needed to concentrate. A sly smile overtook Lena’s visage. “Kara,” sharp eyes fixated on her and locked her in their stare, “do you want to see what you do to me?”

Kara’s felt her entire chest kick into a new gear, her heart racing and lungs suddenly in need of more air. “What?”

“I know this was just supposed to be a day of testing the gear,” Lena approached her, grin steady, brow cocked, “but I’m feeling really good,” she stated, “and in the mood,” she clarified, but they both knew it was unnecessary.

“Uh,” Kara was almost lost for words as Lena stopped just before her and while Kara was still a couple of inches taller than Lena, she felt suddenly small. That did nothing to dull the heat that took root in her, an ember eager to be fanned. “Yeah, me too,” she squeaked and Lena bit her lip, the sight of which stole the breath from Kara’s lungs.

“We should bring this to my place,” Lena turned so fast, nearly losing balance, but caught herself, all before Kara could even react. “Why don’t you call Lucas and he will drive us,” Lena suggested and Kara fumbled with her phone, hands shaking with excitement.

The car ride consisted of Kara’s hand on Lena’s thigh, silently reminding her to remain still, because her movements were obviously superhuman. Kara could feel the energy that hummed through Lena, beneath the skin. It was something she remembered experiencing when she first arrived on Earth, the surge imbued by the yellow sun.

And when they were behind the closed door, she immediately became the focus of that energy. Lena dropped her purse on the table, across the room, but then her gaze turned on Kara. It was intense and piercing. Kara’s breath came faster, as she realized what would follow. “Do you trust me?”

There was the question, again. Even with a room between them, Kara could feel the gravity of it. It was so different on the other end of power. There was a moment of hesitation, but then she saw Lena’s expression soften, and she knew that nothing really changed. “Of course,” she asserted, “always.”

“And you want to have sex while we are in these reversed positions,” she motioned between them, pressing for explicit consent.

Kara felt a shiver run through her and she could hardly formulate words. “More than anything.”

Lena eyed her with an arched brow and Kara knew she could hear the way Kara’s heart raced. Kara’s eyes drifted for only a moment, but before she could bring them back up, Lena was in front of her. She instinctively took a step back, but Lena’s hands were on her hips, pulling her closer. They were flush, Lena’s lips finding hers. The kiss was soft to start, but each passing second brought more fervor. More force. And with each moment, Kara became more consumed with want.

Lena broke away and Kara had to remind herself to accept the opportunity for oxygen. “I would never have imagined how taste could be enhanced,” Lena mused, but Kara was lost in her desire to be kissing Lena once more. She leaned forward, but a hand on her chest halted her. It always took a bit of adjusting when she lost her powers to realize that she was no longer an unstoppable force.

Lena was in control and Kara had to be patient. She bit her lip as Lena grinned. “Remove your clothes,” Lena commanded.

There was a quality of deserved authority to the words that sent heat straight between Kara’s legs. “Rao, help me,” she whispered, as her hands fumbled to discard her closes, under the unwavering gaze of her smug girlfriend.

With her clothes abandoned, she looked back to Lena, waiting for further instruction. “Alright Kara, are you ready for a hands on lesson on how to short my brain?”

Kara swallowed. “You might have to write it down later,” she confessed.

“I am confident you will not forget,” Lena assured. She stepped forward, her hands reaching forward, coming to rest on Kara’s bare stomach. Lena’s hands shifted and Kara found her hips being rotated for her, and she let it happen, happily accepting that she wanted to be moved by Lena’s hand. She ended up facing away from her girlfriend, whose hands lingered on her hips.

It was exhilarating, the feel of Lena’s grip. She was used to things feeling light and gentle, no matter the mood, so to have it feel so capturing, and to wonder if her skin would bruise, had her body tingling.

Lips met her shoulder and her eyelids fluttered. One hand held her steady as the other roamed up her front. Her own hands found themselves wandering, draw up by Lena’s momentum. Her hands became buried in Lena’s hair, which had thankfully been down to accommodate the headgear in the lab. Lena’s hand came up to her throat, coaxing a moan from her.

“You can tug, if you like,” Lena urged, against her ear, “I would.” Her grip instantly tightened, as her legs unconsciously squeezed together. There was a moment where Lena slowed, then nothing happened and she wondered what was going through Lena’s mind. “You are doing it, right?”

“Yes,” Kara squeaked, gripping even harder.

“Wow,” Lena’s hands dropped away and after a moment of confusion, Kara turned about. Lena’s visage was alight with fascination.

“Not very in character,” Kara quipped, giggling at how cute she found Lena.

Lena shook her head. “I don’t know how you handle life like this,” she marveled.

“I’ve been doing it since I was young,” she reminded lightly. She leaned in and kissed Lena, felt her shiver. “Just try to remember that you do not have to do nearly as much as you might think. It’s alright to start slow,” Kara offered.

“Kryp kehp dehdh,” Lena stated, making Kara’s stomach fill with butterflies.

“Yes, we have time,” Kara confirmed, repeating Lena’s words back in English. “Now,” she put her hands over Lena’s and guided them back to her body. Kara directed them to her hips and let Lena take over, “lift slowly.” Lena’s hands were on her ass, enacting her words with diligence. She felt herself lifted and it felt like she flying for the first time again, as her heart soared. “Yes,” she encouraged, before Lena was kissing her.

She could not tell what was more dizzying, the kiss or the fact that they were suddenly in the bedroom, but she knew her brain was struggling to keep up. She did not care. She pressed closer, without hesitation, her hands feeling unburdened by doubt as she gripped Lena’s blouse.

Kara’s teeth snagged Lena’s lower lip and sank into unbreaking, but pliant flesh. It was a moment of euphoric realization, as every desire she never had the chance to fully explore began flooding her mind. She did not know where to start. “Rao,” she breathed as she looked Lena over, noting how her lipstick had teeth marks marring it, but her lips themselves were unaffected, “I want to fuck you so bad right now.”

She watched Lena’s brow arch. “Really? You want to fuck me?” Kara felt her fingers twitch at the idea, eager to start, but then she was on her back, on the bed. Lena looked on for a moment, watched as she wriggled, unable to stay still. “I love that you want to see what you can do to and for me,” Lena said, with warm adoration, “but tonight you are in my hands.”

Kara froze, knees bent and together, perched up on her elbows. She wanted to exhaust herself with her fingers thrusting inside of Lena; she thought that more than anything, that was what she wanted. She could never have predicted the way her body would react to Lena’s assertion that she would not have the chance. She tried to calm her heart, but there was nothing to be done about the flush of color across her cheeks and bared chest. There was no way to hide the way her nipples stiffened. There was no way to ignore how wet she was.

And Lena’s grin told Kara she had taken notice.

Lena moved at a human pace, so steady. Her hands stopped on Kara’s knees and without a word, Kara knew what was wanted of her. She spread her legs, invited Lena to do as she pleased. Kara’s hands fisted the sheets beneath her, trying to keep herself from falling into her typical role.

She was so used to initiating contact. It was easier that way, to stay ahead of her fears. Lena told her she did not have to worry. Lena reminded her daily. Said it over dinner. Whispered it as they snuggled before sleep. Pressed the words against her lips. And Kara wanted them to be enough. Some days she thought she was making progress.

As her legs opened and her desire was revealed, she did not need to worry. She was free to want everything. “I love you,” Lena breathed.

She opened her mouth to return the words, but Lena’s hands were trailing down her thighs, and all she managed was a soft whimper. Lena’s touch was soft, moved along the outside of her legs. On Earth, most of her senses became heightened, but her sense of touch became dulled by the fact that, generally, things made less impact on her skin.

Lena’s hands on her skin felt almost like more than she could handle. She felt it through her whole body. She felt the thunder of her heart carry the sensation and warmth through her.

Lena knelt on the bed and Kara settled back. Hands were replaced by Lena’s mouth, leaving streaks of lipstick up Kara’s body, over her hipbone, beside her navel, between her breasts, on her throat. Eyes met hers, briefly, before fingers that she did not see move were on her breast, and she could not keep her own eyes open. Gravity seemed to reverse direction as her chest surged upward and pressed against Lena’s hand.

“Lena,” she stammered, “please, I am-” a pulse shot through her as Lena teased her nipple- “I need you to hurry up.”

“I thought you said I should take things slow,” Lena drawled and Kara’s eyes flew open for the sake of shooting her a playful glare.

“Forget what I said,” she grunted.

Lena smirked as she shifted backward. Kara sucked in breath as Lena gripped her behind the knees and pulled her effortlessly, such that her ass was just at the end of the bed. The friction of the sheets on her back was new to her and it amplified the heat she felt within.

Lena settled to her knees and guided Kara’s legs over her shoulders. Lips met the inside of her thigh and her hips automatically jumped, her body as impatient as her mind, but with a sly smirk, Lena held her down. It was something she had done many times to Lena, but she had never imagined just what denial incited. Her clit throbbed and she tested Lena’s hold, Lena’s mouth so close, but she could not get herself any closer.

Each hot breath against her skin had her whimpering with need. Time seemed endless. Her hands clenched around the edge of the bed.

She was tense from effort when Lena shifted her hands, lifted Kara up, and pressed her tongue flat against Kara’s entrance. A startled cry escaped Kara’s throat. “Yes,” she hissed as her heels pressed into Lena’s back.

Lena moved slowly, but Kara did not care. She was allowed a gradual build, got to appreciate how everything was simultaneously too much and not enough. She was conscious of the way her thighs twitched and her core ached, as she tightened. Fingernails dug into the flesh of her ass, the flare of pain accenting the way Lena sucked sharply at her clit.

Release had never come so easily. It was unexpected; her body seized and her mind went white. She did not even have time to think about holding back, like she might have if she still had her powers. She might have screamed, but she seemed unable to make noise. It was almost scary how overwhelming it was and her hands grabbed Lena’s head, the only part of Lena in reach, needing it to anchor herself.

Lena took her hands as encouragement. She tapped Lena’s forehead. “Wait,” she squeaked.

Lena pulled back and lowered her to the bed, where she lay limp and panted heavily. “Are you alright?”

She did not have the breath to respond immediately and Lena’s expression grew increasingly concerned, until finally she managed to find her voice. “I’m not used to feeling so much,” she reminded, “and that was very intense.”

“I’m sorry,” Lena worried her lip.

“Don’t be,” Kara chuckled, “I just need a moment.”

“So, what is it like, normally?” Lena moved to lay next to her on the bed and both of them shifted up toward the pillows; Kara succeeded only with Lena’s help.

Kara furrowed her brow. “Uh, not like that,” she mumbled.

Lena pursed her lips. “Yeah, but how, exactly?”

Kara looked into the distance, over Lena’s shoulder. “I can hardly feel you, sometimes,” she admitted, before she returned her gaze to Lena. “I don’t want to discourage you from trying, because that alone is enough, but,” she trailed off.

“Physical stimulation is hard to come by?”

Kara nodded. “It’s like having an itch, but only being able to use the pad of your finger,” she explained.

“Well, if you want to go again, I seem to have energy to spare,” Lena offered.

“You may have an abundance, but I have-” she lifted her arm, hand dangling, and the arm sinking slowly of its own accord.

Lena chuckled. “I told you before, you are in my hands tonight,” she reminded.

“I like the sound of that,” Kara mused.

“Come here,” Lena coaxed and Kara giggled as she struggled to moved her body, until she was straddling Lena, her breath coming heavily. Kara’s hands fumbled at the buttons of Lena’s blouse, determined to see more skin. “Having some trouble?”

“It’s hard!” Kara pouted, comically. “I am used to my arms working,” she protested, “you do it.”

“With pleasure,” Lena bit her lip with a sly grin, Kara’s only warning before their positions were flipped, amidst a fit of giggles. “Would you like a slow show or do you just want my clothes off?”

Kara shifted excitedly beneath Lena. “How about a show? It might help with my reserves,” she suggested.

Kara’s hands settled on Lena’s thighs as her girlfriend began meticulously unbuttoning her blouse, exposing inch after inch. She shifted the shirt off her shoulders and let it slide down her arms, left it where it landed on Kara’s legs. Her hands, behind her back, took their time with the clasp that held Lena’s bra together, the barrier Kara wanted so badly to be rid of. Lena’s brow was cocked knowingly, eyes falling on Kara’s slightly parted lips. Kara could feel them, but was distracted by the steadiness of Lena’s breathing, the rhythmic shift of her chest, the notable lack of its typical soft glisten.

Lena bit her lip as she drew the bra away from her body and discarded it, and Kara realized she wanted to be the one biting Lena’s lip. She tried to sit up, but before she made it half way, her muscles protested and she fell back with a startled gasp.

Lena shook her head with a chuckle. “My poor Kara,” she cooed.

“Make it better,” Kara pleaded.

Lena grinned and leaned forward, unable to deny Kara her desire. As lips collided, Kara’s tongue met Lena’s, delighted by its unyielding presence. She gladly forfeited her breath as Lena stole it away. Kara closed her eyes and her hands sank into Lena’s hair. She took little notice of the way Lena shifted their bodies, such that Lena straddled only one of Kara’s legs, until Lena pressed two fingers to her center. She exhaled sharply into Lena’s mouth as those fingers slipped easily through wet folds, before they sank smoothly into her and cupped her fully.

She gasped and her head fell back. Lena’s lips found her exposed throat and she moaned, clenching around Lena’s fingers. “Rao, if I die tonight,” she prayed, but could not conjure a continuation of the thought.

Lena drew out slightly and Kara had to resist thrusting her pelvis into Lena’s palm, with her body so desperate to not let them part. Their return had Kara crying out Lena’s name. It did not seem to matter where Lena touched; every part of Kara sparked with life, beat in time with the rhythm Lena set, commanded by just two fingers. Heat shot up her body and radiated outward in steady pulses, until she felt it throughout. Her toes curled and her lungs burned. Her hands moved on their own, sought out any purchase on Lena’s solid body.

Lena sucked at her throat and Kara whimpered. It was everything to her, to feel Lena - above her, against her, in her. Every slight movement was impactful, from Lena’s breath on her neck to the minute curl of her fingers. So when Lena purposefully tapped upward within her, her entire body was alight with pleasure. She abandoned all notion of restraint, rode Lena’s fingers with every ounce of strength she possessed.

She was thoroughly exhausted when Lena pulled her fingers out and did not have the breath to protest. Kara fell asleep in Lena’s arms, with the image of Lena’s loving smile and a warmth cushioning her heart.

The morning brought their power levels to equilibrium, but Kara was still shaky, as she joined Lena in the kitchen for brunch. “Lena,” she murmured against her girlfriend’s shoulder, as Lena removed the skillet from the stove.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” she hummed.

Lena turned and beamed. “What for?”

“First, for making bacon instead of a veggie smoothie for breakfast,” Kara quipped and received a raised brow, “but also for being so understanding.”

“Of course,” Lena said, her expression soft. She opened her arms in offering and Kara accepted the embrace. She squeezed her arms around her, glad for the opportunity to hug her properly. They stood like that, tucked together, until Kara’s stomach growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this satisfies! 
> 
> Don't forget to leave your thoughts!
> 
> Also, come find me on tumblr, if you like: MsSirEy. I welcome questions and flailing!


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